Exploring EFL Students’ Attitudes and Challenges Toward Autonomous Learning: Algerian Higher Education Amid the Covid-19

Abstract

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and universities worldwide, particularly in developing countries like Algeria, struggled with significant challenges of urgent and unexpected transition from face-to-face learning to online learning. During this pandemic, the heavy reliance on technology and online platforms led to a greater expectation of more learning autonomy. Within this context, this study addresses students’ attitudes toward learning autonomy and explores the major challenges that hinder them from being autonomous. The present work is descriptive research, relying on a quantitative approach that describes quantitative data. The measurement tool that is used is a questionnaire administered to twenty-two (22) second-year EFL Algerian students. The collected data reveals that students show positive attitudes towards autonomous learning in the pandemic era. However, teacher support and collaboration with peers are also highlighted. In addition, several factors such as internet distraction, lack of social interaction, and lack of motivation are the dominant factors that hinder students from establishing learning autonomy in an EFL context. To this end, it is recommended that to facilitate autonomous learning; Algerian EFL students’ readiness should be taken into account, and enhance students’ autonomy with training and pedagogical tools in place.