<![CDATA[Student ownership is widely linked to autonomy, motivation, and responsibility in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning, yet little is known about how secondary teachers share control while maintaining instructional authority in exam-driven, authority-oriented settings. This descriptive qualitative study examined how Indonesian senior secondary EFL teachers balance authority and student agency to strengthen learners’ ownership of the learning process. Twenty teachers (12 female; 8 male; aged 27–45) from 16 public and private schools across Jakarta, Tangerang, Bogor, Depok, and Bekasi in Indonesia participated in this study. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews (face-to-face or Zoom) and teacher reflective journals, then analyzed using thematic analysis. Results revealed that teachers described ownership as responsibility and voice, shown when students initiate actions, make learning-related choices, and reflect on progress. Rather than relinquishing authority, teachers reshaped it through a staged transfer of responsibility, combining clear routines with scaffolding, dialogic feedback, and student-led activities. However, examination demands and cultural expectations of deference restricted the scope of agency. These findings suggest that ownership in exam-oriented EFL classrooms develops through structured, gradual autonomy support; teacher education and assessment policy should therefore align classroom authority with meaningful opportunities for student choice and reflection.]]>
