Students need learning autonomy

Setiono, Lecturer, Atma Jaya Catholic University, Jakarta

The success or failure of any educational practice is determined not only by the effectiveness of teaching methods or techniques, well-designed curricula and teaching materials, but also by the efficacy of student learning strategies.

Well-designed curricula and attractive teaching materials will prove useless unless teachers possess creative techniques or methods in their teaching practices.

Similarly, possessing good teaching methods and being assisted by well-developed teaching materials will count for nothing if students are not equipped with an effective and efficient learning strategy.

These aspects should be regarded as a sine qua non, meaning that the absence of any will block the path to a successful educational program.

Currently the study of educational practice in the country has focused extensively on both teaching practices and curriculum design. However, studies that deal with the improvement of learning strategy remain largely unchallenged.

This article proposes the concept of autonomy in learning (which is highly relevant to the application of a competency- based curriculum), highlights some variables that potentially impede the development of learning autonomy in Indonesian settings and, finally, proposes solutions to the problems. In so doing, efforts can immediately be taken to remedy the flaws from which the current educational system suffers.

In its broadest sense, the term "autonomy" might be associated with self-direction, self-government, self-determination, self- orientation, independence and freedom to determine one's choices, as well as freedom to make a decision without being pressured by other parties.

If related to the field of education, more specifically learning, autonomy means a student's privilege to be the core agent or doer in teaching and learning interaction.

This means a student has the privilege of taking charge of his own learning, deciding his own learning goals, selecting his own learning strategy, monitoring and diagnosing the strengths and limitations of his learning, and eventually making an assessment of his learning outcomes.

In other words, the agenda for learning is set by the students themselves. As such, students may feel that they are intellectually challenged to become self-directed, mature and independent beings.

What is crucial to emphasize here is that learning autonomy is not necessarily tantamount to the current active learning method, popularly known as CBSA (cara belajar siswa aktif).

To my mind, the essential difference between these concepts lies in the degree of student freedom about what and how they should learn.

When the concept of CBSA was first introduced in the academic realm in the country, it was acclaimed by many as the sole educational concept that truly reflected a humanistic approach to language learning. This idea is still accepted within Indonesian educational settings. It is understandable, however, that a humanistic approach places the learner as the subject of learning.

Nonetheless, despite the student's acknowledged role in the process of teaching learning activities, the degree of freedom given is not as much as that in learning autonomy. It is, for example, still the teacher who sets the learning agenda, determines learning objectives, selects teaching strategy and evaluates learning outcomes.

The concept of learning autonomy proposed here should not be taken to mean that it opposes the concept of CBSA, but rather to complement it.

However, the crucial question arises here as to what extent can autonomy in learning be developed within Indonesia? As this concept calls for greater readiness on behalf of both students and teachers, serious obstacles may be encountered in applying the concept in the country. These may be related to both cultural influences and deep-rooted educational traditions in Indonesia.

To start with, Indonesian students are inclined to be dependent upon their teacher in learning. They like to be told what to do and are also accustomed to being spoon-fed by their teacher. Their main goal in doing school assignments is to obtain a good grade rather than absorb knowledge.

Furthermore, knowledge transference, rather than discovery learning, has become a common practice in Indonesia. This will perpetuate the belief that knowledge is something to be transmitted by teachers rather than discovered by themselves. As a result, students are encouraged to become passive learners, and are discouraged from developing their intellectual capacity.

The strong belief that the teacher as an authority figure can be considered a cultural constraint that impedes students' authority in learning. The view that the teacher possesses superior knowledge and control in learning limits students' ability or desire to express their opinions, let alone criticize their teacher.

In classroom activities, group work is favored more than working individually, suggesting that cooperative learning, in which they can assist and support each other, is more valued than competitive learning. They may therefore be reluctant to engage in argumentative discussion, in which opposing ideas are confronted critically.

The habit of actively answering and commenting on questions, particularly if this does not conform to public norms, is sometimes considered taboo. This may result in a degradation of students' intellectual capacities.

No matter how complex the above accounts may be, they should be viewed as challenges in any attempt to promote learning autonomy in the country.

After reflecting for quite a time, I find it useful to propose the following suggestions for anyone who may have an interest in developing learning autonomy in the country.

o Familiarize students with learning by discovery, in which they are given freedom to learn through their own active involvement with concepts and principles. They should also be encouraged to have experiences and conduct experiments that permit them to discover principles for themselves.

o Expose students to independent, problem-solving tasks that can arouse their curiosity and critical thinking. Thus, there should be an emphasis on giving sound and logical reasons rather than correct answers.

o Finally, appreciate students' learning outcomes. In the event that there are limitations in their learning ability, the teacher should give positive comments, and guide them to assess and diagnose their own limitations independently. In so doing, the misconception that the teacher has superior knowledge to that of the student can be minimized.