Developing Learner Autonomy: Novice and Experienced EFL Teachers’ Beliefs and Strategies

Teachers’ beliefs play a determining role in the decisions they make and the strategies they employ to foster learner autonomy. therefore, their beliefs and the strategies they use to foster learner autonomy merit empirical evidence. to this end, the present study investigated the beliefs of 85 kurdish efl (english as a foreign language) teachers about learner autonomy and examined the influence of their experience on the strategies they employed to promote learner autonomy. the data was collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire addressing learner autonomy from eight dimensions. the findings indicated that teachers generally had positive attitudes towards learner autonomy. experienced teachers placed significantly greater emphasis on several aspects of learner autonomy, including the psychological and political factors, the contributions of learner autonomy, and the learning materials. both novice and experienced teachers stressed the importance of promoting autonomy through learner-centered teaching methods and student engagement. experienced teachers employed more varied teaching methods and assessment techniques to promote learner autonomy. while novice teachers preferred direct observation of their students when they were completing tasks and activities, experienced teachers adopted a more hands-off approach which allowed more space for learner autonomy. the differences in beliefs and strategies between novice and experienced teachers highlight the transformative impact of teaching experience on the promotion of learner autonomy. the findings imply that professional development programs should focus on developing teaching strategies that foster autonomy.