Developing Learner Autonomy in the ESL Classroom Through the Use of Learning Contracts

The consensus among learner autonomy experts indicates that the parameters of today's teaching and learning processes have been significantly extended to ensure that our learners become autonomous lifelong learners. Such initiatives place a critical demand on educators to ensure they equip their learners with all the necessary learning tools and skills so that they can take responsibility for their own learning. This paper analyses the development of learner autonomy through the use of learning contracts which were used during a 15-week Strategy Training Programme. Specifically, the study explored to what extent learning contracts could help develop ESL students' abilities in managing their learning viz-a-viz, the planning, organization, and evaluation of the learning process. The main study (Sidhu, 2009) involved a trained TESL teacher and an intact ESL class of 42 students in an urban secondary girls' school located in Selangor, Malaysia. This paper details the learning progress of six of the 42 ESL students involved in the Strategy Training Programme. The data collection process employed the use of learning contracts, semi-structured interviews, and a feedback form. Findings indicated that the learning contract was seen as an effective tool in empowering students to take charge of their own learning. Students showed more confidence in planning and organizing as compared to evaluating their learning process. The implication of the results suggest that students must be provided with more opportunities to critically reflect and evaluate their own learning in order to enhance their learning progress towards becoming autonomous lifelong learners.