Moving towards autonomy

Autonomy is a term that is used in many different ways in education. What do people mean when they talk about student autonomy? What are autonomous learning methods? The notion of autonomy in learning is a many-faceted one and is subject to much debate. The aim of this chapter is to throw some light on the ways in which both philosophers and teachers use the word 'autonomy' in order to identify the key issues for someone who wishes to promote the idea of autonomy or autonomous learning with their students. In addition to clarifying some of these ideas, I will also examine research on student learning which identifies aspects of teaching and course design that appear to do most to promote or inhibit autonomy in learning.