JEES (Journal of English Educators Society)
Vol 11 No 1 (2026): April (in progress)

Learner autonomy in an online project-based learning: voices from Indonesian EFL students

Nur Chakim (Universitas Negeri Malang)
Utami Widiati (Universitas Negeri Malang)
Johannes Ananto Prayogo (Universitas Negeri Malang)
Adi Sasongko Romadhon (University of Manchester)



Article Info

Publish Date
05 Apr 2026

Abstract

This study explored university students' levels of autonomy and identified the challenges they face in becoming more autonomous learners within a university context. The research involved 80 students from a public university in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was employed, comprising two phases: a survey phase and an interview phase. The data were collected using closed-ended questionnaires to assess students’ levels of autonomy and semi-structured interviews to examine the challenges hindering students’ autonomy. Next, the quantitative data from the questionnaire were analyzed using simple statistical techniques, including percentages and mean scores, while the qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed two key results. First, students showed high levels of autonomy across all dimensions—technical, psychological, political, and socio-cultural. Notably, none of the questionnaire items indicated a low level of autonomy. Students attributed their high autonomy to the flexibility of working independently at home and leveraging internet resources to complete their projects. They also displayed strong sociability, adaptability, and collaboration skills in achieving their goals. Second, the primary challenges faced by students to be more autonomous in online meetings involved: lecturers’ compulsory instructions, low motivation, lack of discipline, poor time management, dependence on lecturers, lack of skills, and limited interaction.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jees

Publisher

Subject

Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

Aim: to facilitate scholar, researchers, and teachers for publishing the original articles of review articles. Scope: Language Education include: English Education English Literature English ...