EFL Learners’ Attitudes towards Autonomous Learning: A Comparative Study between Urban and Rural Moroccan High Schools

Abstract

Learning a foreign language is no longer confined to the classroom's perimeters, but it has been recently linked to autonomy and self-learning skills, especially using current technological means. Due to the impact of the pandemic crisis on education, learning methods have been reconsidered to embrace other alternative options rather than merely clinging to traditional ways. As such, the present study examines the role of autonomous learning in enhancing students' proficiency in English language. The study explores whether high school students resort to autonomous learning (AL) strategies to improve their English language or they solely rely on what is being taught inside the classroom. More specifically, the paper aims to make an analogy on levels of autonomous learning between high school students of remote and urban areas in El Hoceima city. AL questionnaire items consist of two dimensions: 1- learners' perceptions of their educational responsibilities and 2- the actual autonomous English activities that were practiced by learners in the process of learning English. This scale instrument was adopted by Abdel Razeq (2014) to assess AL within EFL context. The data was gathered through online Google forms and analyzed by comparing the means and using t-test method. The results showed that high school students, belonging to remote areas suffice themselves with the classroom instructions and wait for the teacher to provide them with the language input. The analysis also demonstrated that the same students still need to familiarize themselves with autonomous learning strategies. However, students in urban high schools demonstrated significant abilities to engage in autonomous learning activities and have admitted that their responsibilities to learn English are mutually shared between learners and their instructors. Such results provide important implications for learners' perceptions of their use of autonomous learning skills.