Employing an explanatory sequential design, the present study investigated the effect of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) blog-mediated writing instruction on the students’ Learner Autonomy. A number of 46 Learners who were the students of two intact classes were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. Over a 16-week semester, the control group students (n=21) were taught based on regular in-class writing instruction and the students in the experimental group (n=25) made use of blogs in addition to the traditional in-class writing instruction. The data were collected through administering a Learner Autonomy instrument, consisting of metacognitive, cognitive, social, and affective components, and conducting semi-structured interviews. The results of both quantitative and qualitative data revealed that the blog-mediated writing instruction contributed to enhancing Learner Autonomy of the participants. More specifically, the students who experienced blog-mediated writing activities showed improvement in metacognitive and cognitive components of Learner Autonomy. The findings offer significant implications for EFL teachers.

Learner Autonomy has been described as the ultimate objective in many language teaching programs since the third quarter of the twentieth century and educators have highlighted the significant role of promoting Learner Autonomy in the process of language learning and teaching. However, only limited number of studies has been awarded to what leaner Autonomy mean to teachers. This study addressed the gap and investigated novice and experienced teachers‟ beliefs regarding Learner Autonomy. Forty teachers participated in two groups who were grouped based on their teaching experiences as novice and experienced teachers. A questionnaire which was adapted from British Council was administered to elicit the teachers‟ beliefs regarding Learner Autonomy. The independent samples t-test analysis of the data revealed a significant difference between novice and experienced teachers beliefs. The findings of the present study may have some implications for teachers in promoting Learner Autonomy in their classes, in general, and involving Learners in the process of teaching and learning, in particular.

Learner Autonomy (henceforth LA) has become a buzz word in education in general and language education, in particular, for more than a decade now. Focusing on investigating Iranian EFL teachers’ conceptions of LA, the current study, taking a mixed method approach, attempted to illustrate how Iranian EFL teachers’ conceptions of leaner Autonomy mapped out. To that end, 7 teachers, purposefully cluster sampled, were interviewed. After data saturation, the result of the interviews and the data gleaned from the literature were fed into the development of a questionnaire. The questionnaire, having being validated through a pilot study, was administered to 585 EFL teachers snowball-sampled, 2 of whom were, later on through negative case analysis, interviewed, and were required to provide the researchers with a narrative. Running a number of factor analyses, the researchers modeled the participants’ mindsets toward LA, which can be quite significant as it can have some theoretical and pedagogical implications, including, inter alia, situating LA promotion into the pedagogy of TEFL in Iran by running LA promotion workshops as well as developing a pool of LA promotion activities and software programs available to the stakeholders, especially the teachers.

This study aims to explore the assessment practices that shape Learner Autonomy in language education, focusing on the perceptions of teachers, curriculum designers, and administrators in Tehran. A qualitative research design was employed, involving semi-structured interviews with 28 participants selected purposively from language education institutions in Tehran. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis with the assistance of NVivo software to identify key themes and patterns related to assessment and Learner Autonomy. Three main themes emerged from the analysis: Assessment Design for Autonomy, Teacher Practices Facilitating Autonomy, and Learner Engagement and Autonomy. Formative feedback, self-assessment integration, authentic tasks, transparent criteria, Learner choice, and continuous assessment were identified as critical design elements supporting Autonomy. Teachers played a pivotal role by co-creating goals, fostering dialogic assessment, promoting reflection, encouraging peer assessment, and building trust to empower Learners. Learners demonstrated Autonomy through intrinsic motivation, self-regulation skills, active engagement with feedback, peer collaboration, and emotional resilience. Barriers such as cultural expectations, fear of failure, and teacher dependence were also acknowledged as challenges to Autonomy development. Assessment practices significantly influence Learner Autonomy in language education by providing structures and supports that empower Learners to take control of their learning. Formative, authentic, and Learner-centered assessment approaches, combined with supportive teacher mediation, facilitate Autonomy development. However, contextual factors and Learner readiness must be considered to effectively implement Autonomy-supportive assessments. The study recommends embedding formative feedback, self-and peer-assessment, and authentic tasks in language curricula while fostering trusting, dialogic teacher-student relationships to maximize Learner Autonomy.