THE STUDENTS’ SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING IN ENGLISH FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The success of learning cannot be separated from the level of self-directed learning (SDL) of the students. Therefore, this study aims at describing the level of EFL learners’ self-directed learning and exploring the main factors which affect their SDL levels. The method used in this study is descriptive qualitative research. The participants are the fourth-semester students of the English Education Program in higher education in Lombok. The data were collected by using two sets of questionnaires: a close-ended questionnaire and an open-ended questionnaire. The data were analyzed with a thematic analysis method. The findings showed that 60% of students are at moderate level, 33% high, and 1% in low level. Two main factors which affect students’ SDL levels are teacher-student interaction and intrinsic motivation.