With the unprecedented development of technology, marked by the widespread accessibility of information online, there has been an ongoing debate about whether autonomy should be promoted in the learning process of students. Having learning autonomy means holding accountability for the learning strategies and progression of the students themselves, through goal-setting, choosing learning methods, or consistent self-evaluation. Therefore, a school of thought suggests that adopting learning autonomy can cultivate various benefits for students, including critical thinking, or increased independence; whereas others think excessive autonomy can render the learning process confusing and ineffective. Although acknowledging the potential risks of excessive autonomy, from my perspective, I concur with the third viewpoint that combining both autonomous learning and conventional pedagogy is the most holistic approach to address the aforementioned disadvantages.
On the one hand, although autonomy in learning can equip students with tremendous freedom and flexibility, the lack of orientation inevitably confuses the students. Students, especially adolescents in secondary or high schools, do not have sufficient experience to formulate a comprehensive learning strategy, which can be detrimental and time-consuming when adopting an unsuitable learning method for a long time. This is further exacerbated in the age when students can easily access information on the Internet. This wide availability, though informative and diverse, can go beyond their evaluative abilities to differentiate between credible sources of knowledge and misleading ones. Over time, this can ultimately lead to declining academic performance, even frustration or chronic stress.
This is when the importance of teachers comes in handy. To facilitate the learning process, teachers can provide students with guidance or supervision, tailoring their studying methods to their strengths or personalities. For instance, a student has various preferences for different occupations and difficulties determining their future career. Instead of autonomously searching the Internet just to be more confused by the vast number of mixed opinions, they can engage in discussions with their teachers who have valuable living and professional experiences to figure out the most suitable option. Moreover, teachers can act as facilitators in classrooms by arranging collaborative group assignments for students. This can not only foster interpersonal relationships among them but also stimulate the autonomous acquisition of various soft skills such as teamwork, communication, or researching skills. Another reason for my argument is the objectivity in evaluating students’ development, which can be heavily influenced by the students’ biases or prejudices. Many students are reluctant to admit their weaknesses or failures. They usually over-estimate their true capabilities to avoid negative feelings, which in turn undermines genuine development. Here, teachers can provide objective assessments of their progress and encourage them to adopt a better learning method based on their knowledge and skills.
In conclusion, while learning autonomy can provide many benefits to students, like increased independence and critical thinking, I posit that it cannot replace the importance of teachers and the traditional pedagogical approach, as there are risks of false self-evaluation or a lack of proper orientation.