A study on Non-English Major Students’ Learner Autonomy: Difficulties and Solutions

Learning is no longer confined to the four walls of the classroom but can happen at any time and place as learners wish. Thus, promoting learner autonomy – the ability of learners to navigate their own learning - has been regarded as the focus of education because it promises successful lifelong learning. However, students' level of learner autonomy, their difficulties when regulating their own learning, and solutions for those problems are the factors that educators usually believe are out of their control. In order to promote non-English major students' learner autonomy, the current research explores those often neglected concerns. The collected quantitative data from the survey answers of 279 non-English majors at a public university in Ho Chi Minh City was analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The findings showed that the students are not very confident with their learner autonomy, and they have a lot of difficulties when conducting their learning on their own outside the classroom. The solutions to promote learner autonomy from their perspectives are improving their self-regulating skills, strengthening their interactions with teachers and friends, and receiving more support from society. These findings present some pedagogical implications to help students study more effectively outside the classroom.