Navigating Learner Autonomy in Engineering ESP Classes: A Mixed-Methods Study of Vocational Students' Perceptions
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Purpose – This study investigates Vocational High School (VHS) students’ perceptions of learner autonomy in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) classes across cognitive and metacognitive, affective and motivational, action-oriented, social, and external dimensions.. Methodology – An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. Questionnaire data from 259 Grade 12 engineering students across five specializations in Klaten, Indonesia, were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Level of Respondent Achievement (LRA) index. Semi-structured interviews with five purposively selected students were analyzed using Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña’s interactive model. Findings – Overall perceived learner autonomy fostering reached 72% (sufficient). Cognitive and metacognitive aspects ranked highest (74%), followed by external (72.8%), affective and motivational (72.6%), social (71.6%), and action-oriented dimensions (71%). Students valued responsibility, self-monitoring, additional learning, and ICT-supported learning but reported limited creative tasks, fluctuating motivation, teacher dependence, and insufficient interaction. Novelty – The study examines learner autonomy across five dimensions in engineering ESP classes at VHS level. Significance – The findings highlight the need to balance teacher scaffolding, learner choice, self-management, reflection, collaboration, meaningful tasks, and purposeful ICT integration to foster learner autonomy progressively.
Authors: Agustina Hananingsih, Rismayani Rismayani
Institutions: Politeknik Negeri Bali, Yogyakarta State University
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7221471924