Investigating the Role of Teachers in Promoting Learner Autonomy The Case of EFL Teachers and Third Year Students at the Department of English at Ghardaia University

Abstract

The main aim of the present study is to investigate the role of the teachers in promoting learners’ autonomy. A major problem of students at Ghardaia University is the lack of independence. The problem may be related to students not knowing the importance of autonomy in university and the positive influence of this skill on their academic success and lifelong learning. We adopted a descriptive design with both quantitative and qualitative approach (mixed method) to obtain the necessary and relevant data. To answer the research questions, we have chosen two questionnaires as tools to collect the research data. Our study is conducted in Algeria, specifically Ghardaia University in the Department of English. Our population consists of eight (8) EFL teachers and 80 Third Year LMD students. However, the researchers have chosen a sample of 25 students during the academic year of 2022-2023. The obtained results from both questionnaires raise the idea that teachers should encourage autonomous learners in their classrooms by implementing different teaching strategies which demonstrate the four roles: a facilitator, a guide, a counselor, and a resource, among which the most used role is a facilitator. In addition, teachers are facing some difficulties including learners' lack of independence in learning. Consequently, this lack of autonomy among students has influenced negatively their performance in their study. As a conclusion, it is suggested that, formative days should be conducted in order to shed the light on the relationship between autonomy and language development. Furthermore, we hope that teachers of English at Ghardaia University will recognize their significant role in helping learners be autonomous inside and outside classroom.