Learners’ Autonomy: An Attribute of University Students
Keywords:
Learners’ autonomy, andragogy, Learning Disabilities, university studentsAbstract
This study examined the level of learner autonomy among university students and investigated differences based on gender, academic discipline, and academic qualification. A quantitative descriptive survey design was employed, and data were collected from 1,230 university students in public sector universities of Punjab, Pakistan, using the Learner Autonomy Profile–Short Form (LAP-SF). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, an independent samples t-test, and a one-way ANOVA. The findings revealed that university students demonstrated a moderate level of learner autonomy, indicating partial development of autonomous learning behaviors. Gender-based analysis showed that female students had significantly higher learner autonomy than male students. Similarly, significant differences were found across academic qualifications, with MPhil students showing higher autonomy than BS and MA/MSc students. Discipline-wise results indicated that commerce students exhibited higher autonomy compared to science and arts students. The study concludes that learner autonomy varies across demographic and academic variables and highlights the need for instructional practices that foster autonomous learning, particularly among undergraduate students, male students, and learners in arts disciplines.
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