THE LEARNER DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL
学習者ディベロップメント研究部会誌
ISSN: 2433-5401
https://ldjournal.ld-sig.org

The Learner Development Journal Issue 7:
Challenging the Conventions of Learner Development Research
Author: Ratna Yunita
Title: Investigating Learner Autonomy Development Through a Complex Dynamic Systems
Theory Lens: An Indonesian Context
Date of publication online: 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTSIG.LDJ7-3
Author contact: <ratnayunita(at)iainponorogo(dot)ac(dot)id>
Published by the Japan Association for Language Teaching
Learner Development Special Interest Group, Tokyo
https://ld-sig.org/
Copyright 2023 each respective author
This article can be cited as:
Yunita, R. (2023). Investigating learner autonomy development through a complex
dynamic systems theory lens: An Indonesian context. The Learner Development Journal,
7, 32–58. https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTSIG.LDJ7-3

This article is part of a collection of practitioner research on the theme of “Challenging theConventions in Learner Development Research” for Issue 7 of the Learner Development
Journal (LDJ7), edited by Ellen Head, Aya Hayasaki, and Ryo Moriya. Published once a year,
each issue of the Learner Development Journal follows a Community of Practices approachover a period of approximately 18 months in which contributors work together, under theguidance of the editors, to share, respond to, and develop their research and writing.
Articles are published in the Learner Development Journal under a Creative Commons Attribution
License (CC BY), of which CC BY 4.0 is the most recent version. Under this agreement, authors
grant users the right to unrestricted dissemination and re-use of the work. They ask only thatproper attribution is given to the work.

ARTICLE
Investigating Learner Autonomy Development
Through a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory
Lens: An Indonesian Context
Ratna Yunita, State Islamic Institute of Ponorogo, Indonesia<ratnayunita(dot)iainponorogo(dot)ac(dot)id>
This research explores the development of learner autonomy in Indonesia. After tracing the author’s learningjourney as a pro-autonomy teacher, and sketching in some of the recent initiatives regarding autonomy inIndonesian education policy, the study focuses on two university students’ autonomy development during
2020-21. I employ Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST) to analyse focal autonomy factors among
non-English majors, using a qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews and triangulated data. The
participants were two college students taking an English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP) course in
their first year at university. The findings show that four key factors—learners’ affective state and regulation,
behavioural change, restrictions, and external push and support—are connected to the development oflearner autonomy. The following necessary conditions for achieving learner autonomy were discovered in thiscase study: creating opportunities to experience a sense of achievement within and beyond the classroom, as
well as the teacher’s significant role in introducing autonomy and supporting students’ learning progress.

本研究はインドネシアにおける学習者オートノミーの発達を探索的に調査する。
著者自身のプロの自律的な教師として学びの軌跡を巡り、インドネシアの教育政策におけるオートノミーに関する近年の取り組みを描いた後に、本研究は2020年から21年における大学生2名のオートノミーの発達に焦点を当てる。
半構造化インタビューとトライアンギュレーションされたデータによる質的アプローチを採用し、英語専攻でない学生のオートノミー要因を分析するために複雑系理論（Complex Dynamic Systems Theory、CDST）を用いる。
参加者は、1年時にESAP（English for Specific Academic Purposes）
コースを受講した大学生2名である。
知見としては、学習者の感情状態と調整、行動の変化、制限、外部からの後押しとサポートという4つの主要因が学習者オートノミーの発展に関連している
ことが得られた。
この事例研究で明らかとなった学習者オートノミーを実現するための必要条件は、学生へのオートノミーの導入及び学習が進むのを支援する教師の重大な役割、そして、教室内外で達成感を経験する機会を設けることである。

Keywords

learner autonomy, complex dynamic systems theory, Indonesian context, affective state and regulation,
external support
学習者オートノミー、複雑系理論、
インドネシアの文脈、感情状態と調整、外部サポート

Introduction: Is learner autonomy a universal goal?

Although learner autonomy has been said to be a central aim of education (Benson,
2001, 2009; Waterhouse, 1990), controversy over that claim still exists. Some question its
feasibility and desirability in educational practice (Cuypers, 1992; Hand, 2006; Pennycook,1997). Concerning Asian situations, the question of whether autonomy, which has beenheavily advocated by Western academics and instructors, might not be compatible withall cultures started to be brought up in the 1990s (Aoki & Smith, 1999). Cultural differences
between “the West” and other communities are occasionally cited as the cause of
adoption initiatives elsewhere running into difficulties (Ertürk, 2016; Palfreyman, 2003).
Many claims have been made about autonomous learning in Asian contexts, but specificcultural contexts and their significant impact on the development of autonomy (Halabi,2018) need to be understood more finely. In what follows, I present my personal journeyof encountering learner autonomy, beginning from my bachelor’s degree and culminating
in my current role as an English instructor at the university level. I will then provide an
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overview of the socio-cultural context of learner autonomy in Indonesia, before I focus
on the many factors involved in how two learners from my classes become autonomous
learners. In this investigation I use a complex dynamic systems theory (CDST) frameworkas the main research tool, with the intention of challenging conventional notions
surrounding the development of learner autonomy.

My Story: The word “autonomy” was not used until university

What is autonomous learning? I was introduced to this term while a student in the
English department at an Indonesian university. Since elementary school, I had studied
English in and outside the classroom. In Indonesia, it is relatively typical for highly driven
students with parental financial support to spend more time studying subjects outside
the classroom that are part of the national exam, such as English, Math, and Science.
Being forced to spend my weekends studying and having a long commute to the course
location was initially exhausting. However, after outperforming my friends on English
tests, I continued the program through senior high school. Even in college, when I could
not enrol in additional courses outside the classroom, I tried other alternatives to sharpen
my English, like joining a debate association.
Later, the development of my autonomy was accelerated by the academic milieu in
my UK master’s programme. In every aspect of my studies, from lectures to informal
gatherings in the cafe or garden, my professors and lecturers were there to support andguide me, and I owe them a great deal in helping me to find my path towards autonomy.
I organised my classes, set academic goals for myself, took a course in academic writing,had an article published in a peer-reviewed academic journal, and even went to Japanto present my research at a conference. Because of this, I was able to thrive in theclassroom, and I am now committed to becoming a pro-autonomy teacher who can
encourage my pupils to become active participants in their education and realise their fullpotential.
When I was in college, a friend of mine from another department talked about theirdifficulty in learning and using English. They struggled to understand the lecturer, but
speaking English was even harder. Despite understanding the speaker’s point, responding
was difficult. When teaching English to non-English department students, I realise they
may face the same problems. There are many challenges in teaching English as a Foreign
Language (EFL) for non-English department students in Indonesian universities. One isstudents’ preferences in learning style despite their level of English. It is a contradictory
picture, students depend on their teacher to learn English although they tend to preferautonomous learning to teacher-centred learning (Daflizar & Petraki, 2022). From myperspective as an English teacher, this seems particularly true for first-year university
students in Indonesia who frequently rely heavily on teachers for their education.

The Socio-Cultural Background to Autonomy in Indonesia

Even though government policy has required the implementation of autonomous
learning since 2013, various constraints such as socio-cultural values, education practices,
textbooks, and curriculum (Fidyati, 2017) limit promoting autonomous learning in EFL
classrooms in Indonesia. Additional challenges include concentrating on academic
outcomes, having huge classes, and adhering to traditional teacher authority. It is difficult
for students to talk to the teacher since it is still a very hierarchical society, making
autonomy more challenging to achieve. The absence of autonomous learning experiences,
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Investigating Learner Autonomy Development Through a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory Lens

the overemphasis on national exams, and students’ inadequate English proficiency aresome of the barriers that Indonesian teachers have identified (Lengkanawati, 2017) asmaking it difficult to build learner autonomy with Indonesian students.
Moreover, autonomy is something that EFL learners may be unused to. It is consequently
difficult to explain and achieve learner autonomy with students in Indonesia. This might be
why Indonesian educational discourse did not use the term “learner autonomy” or “otonomi
pembelajar” in Bahasa Indonesia, in their earlier documents. Government publications
excluded explicit reference to the idea or replaced it with synonyms. They used terms
such as “think and act critically, productively, independently, and collaboratively” (Ministryof Education and Culture, 2016, p. 1). In contrast, in a more recent publication (Ministryof Education and Culture, 2020, p. 2), the term “autonomous” is explicitly used whenintroducing the concept of fostering a learning environment characterized by flexibility andinnovation. This document focuses on the need to establish a pedagogical atmosphere“according to student needs” that encourages “autonomous and flexible learning,” while
avoiding restrictions. Although there are tensions due to a lack of resources and know-how
for supporting autonomous learning (Hasbullah, 2022), the fact that learner autonomy
exists conceptually and that initiatives are being taken to promote learner autonomy in theclassroom signals positive progress.
Indeed, the most up-to-date programme, Independent Learning-Independent Campus
or Merdeka Belajar-Kampus Merdeka (MBKM), implemented in the last two years by the
Ministry of Education and Culture (2022), emphasises that learning autonomy should
be encouraged in university students. Students should be free to learn based on theirinterests and talents (Ministry of Education and Culture, 2022). However, despite having afavourable opinion of their abilities regarding autonomous English learning activities both
inside and outside the classroom, in a recent large-scale of Indonesian students (Daflizar& Petraki, 2022) respondents generally agreed that the teacher should be in charge ofcurriculum-related learning that takes place inside the classroom, while students should
be in charge of non-curriculum-related learning that occurs outside of the classroom. I
have also found that my first-year Indonesian Islamic Banking students favour teachercentred learning above student-centred learning (Yunita, 2022). It is not surprisingthen that the ability to work independently of teachers tends to be how Indonesian EFL
students conceptualise learner autonomy (Cirocki et al., 2019).
In Indonesia higher education, every university student, including non-English
department students, learns English as a Foreign Language (EFL) from a compulsory
module as part of the curriculum. The goal of this module is to make the students masterboth receptive (listening and reading) and productive (speaking and writing) skills anduse them in their academic worlds and future working lives. With a choice of general or
specific course modules, teachers can choose the format and content of this module toa great extent. I chose to have an English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP) lesson.
From my observation of EFL students in ESAP courses, there is a tendency for students
who show more autonomous learner traits and habits to achieve better results on theirEnglish tests. Additionally, their learning outcomes improved during their first year oflearning English. Such observations are supported by Boud (1981) and Phuong & Vo (2019)
who claim that autonomous learners make more effective learners and employees. I
became increasingly interested in knowing how autonomous my students are, theirlearning experiences, and whether and how their learning experiences contribute to theirlearner autonomy development, and this led me to complex dynamic systems theory.
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Complex Dynamic Systems Theory: A paradigm which challenges conventional
ideas about learner autonomy

After four years of teaching at university, I was drawn to researching learner autonomy
as a complex dynamic system to understand better the relationships between the many
components involved that I have mentioned above. Complex dynamic systems theory(CDST), introduced into the field of language learning by Larsen-Freeman (1997), hasrecently been applied to address a dynamic and complex language learning process
in which different factors and variables constantly interact (Xie & Derakhshan, 2021).
When language learning is viewed in combination with psychology, emotions, andcommunication skills, researchers may gain new understanding of the complexity within
one individual. Studies utilising the CDST perspective differ from the typical quantitativeand qualitative methods used to study teacher-learner psychology. There are unique CDST
research properties: evolving and dynamically rephrasing research questions, a processoriented approach to understanding events considering one’s cognition, emotion, social
context, culture, and interaction, focus on individual experiences rather than generalisable
patterns of behaviour, different analytical tools, and favouring opaque, longitudinal,and personal data instead of a large sample (Yang, 2021). CDST looks at the decline anddisintegration of factors and processes as a whole.
I decided to adopt the operational model of learner autonomy development of Tungand Huang (2022) because it suited my longitudinal analysis of two learners. Tung andHuang (2022) identify four factors which they find to be focal for learner autonomy
development and use the CDST perspective to explore the interaction between them.
The focal factors are: (a) the learner’s affective state and regulation, (b) the learner’s
behavioural change, (c) the learner’s constraints, and (d) external push and support.
For my own study, I included classroom and non-classroom learning contexts to form abroader understanding of my students’ development of learner autonomy.
Using CDST as my theoretical framework, I intended to find out how these factors
would interact in the development of learner autonomy with my students learning English
at a university in Indonesia. These were my two research questions:
1. What are the focal factors of learner autonomy development for non-English major
students within and beyond the classroom in an Indonesian context?
2. How does the complex interplay of learner autonomy factors contribute to learnerautonomy development of non-English major students within and beyond theclassroom in the context of Indonesia?

Research Methodology
Participants

The participants were two EFL tertiary students, Hana and Kei (pseudonyms), enrolled
in an Islamic Banking ESAP course. They took ESAP courses in the first two semesters of
their four-year study, right when the COVID-19 pandemic happened, so they experienced
online learning in the first semester and started face-to-face learning in the second. Keiand Hana attended different classes. Hana and I often communicated as she preparedfor my suggested English competition. On the other hand, Kei and I did not talk muchoutside of class, and he mostly kept quiet during class. Despite his passive participation in
the teaching and learning process, I became aware of his presence in the class when heperformed well on the writing assignment in the second semester.
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Investigating Learner Autonomy Development Through a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory Lens

I purposely selected these two students because they had contrasting test results on their
mid-semester and end-of-semester exams (see Table 1). These exams were part of theevaluation described in more detail in the following paragraphs and required students to
use English. The two students also had contrasting learning attitudes.
Table 1. Hana’s and Kei’s Exam Scores
Participant
HanaFirst Semester
Mid-term Exam
Score
88

Kei

66

First Semester
Second Semester Second Semester
Final Exam Score Mid-term Exam
Final Exam Score
Score
98
100
84
60

95

100

Hana represented students who tended to be more active within and beyond theclassroom (i.e., answering questions in the class and asking for more information outside
the class). In contrast, Kei represented students who tended to be passive within andbeyond the classroom (i.e., silent in the class and not contacting the teacher).
In the first year, the Islamic banking students have 12 weekly classes; about one-thirdof the overall are general courses required by the institute, including English, Arabic, andBahasa Indonesia. The majority are specific courses such as Islamic Banking Funding
Accounting and Islamic Banking Micro Practice. Graduates of the Islamic Banking programme
are expected to work in the Islamic banking industry; therefore, the curriculum focuseson preparing the students to be banking practitioners with academic qualifications andexpertise in managing Bank Financial Institutions under sharia principles. The main objectiveof the ESAP course is to make the students master knowledge and steps to communicate
both orally and in writing using English for both academic and professional purposes.
For their English classes students were evaluated through several methods: attendance,
which included the students’ participation in classroom activities (40%), speaking or
writing projects (20%), mid-term exam (20%), and final exam (20%). In the first semester,
the mid-term exam consisted of multiple-choice questions to assess the students’listening skills and language knowledge, such as vocabulary and grammar (i.e., partsof speech, tenses). The final exam included multiple-choice questions to evaluate thestudents’ language knowledge. The mid-term and final exams in the second semester
contained multiple-choice questions to examine the student’s reading skills and language
knowledge. The first semester’s assignment was a speaking project, and in the second
semester the students completed a writing project.

Data Collection and Analysis

Qualitative methods used in this study involved interviews about the participants’ English
learning experiences, speaking, and writing products. The data were collected throughsemi-structured interviews at the end of their ESAP course after the students had finishedtheir assignments (7 & 8 June 2022). An in-depth retrospective interview was chosen toelicit events and ask for specific examples with the aim of understanding nuances in theirbeliefs and attitude changes over time.
The interview guide (see Appendix) was adapted from Tung and Huang (2022) withsome modifications. Modifications included adding more detailed parts about factors
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of learner autonomy development. The questions had five sections: introduction about
students’ English learning experiences, habits, and possible selves; learners’ affective state
and regulation covering learners’ beliefs, emotions, motivation, self-reflection, and selfevaluation; learners’ behavioural change covering problem-solving strategies and learning
attitudes; learners’ constraints covering physical, psychological, and social constraints; andexternal push and support covering significant others, learning (extracurricular) activities,
and learners’ environment and interaction.
The interview guide was prepared in the participants’ first language, Bahasa Indonesia.
After collecting the data, I transcribed and translated the interviews into English, thenused NVivo 12 (NVivo, 2018) to code categories. To match the concepts from Tung andHuang (2022), keywords in English were used, such as Hana’s extracurricular activities(teaching English in an orphanage) and Kei’s friends who supported him. After carefully
reading the transcripts, I could identify factors leading to these participants’ learnerautonomy development and how these factors interacted to develop learner autonomy.

Findings

In this section, I first introduce the four focal factors of learner autonomy development,
accompanied by several excerpts for each factor. Second, I present the operationalmodel: how the four focal factors interact to develop learner autonomy concerning three
time-points: before the start of the university, during the first semester, and finally inthe second semester, together with the detailed descriptions. Next, I report on the three
periods, with each focal factor explained in each period.

The Operational Model: How Focal Factors Interact in the Development of Learner
Autonomy

Figure 1 shows the four focal factors of learner autonomy development represented by
LA1, LA2, LA3, and LA4. The factors are affective state and regulation; behavioural change
in the direction of becoming more autonomous; constraints, in the sense of becoming
able to overcome constraints; and external push and support, in terms of having effective,
autonomy-supporting events and people. The darkness of shading represents how wellthat factor was helping the student to realize autonomy, with completely black nodes
representing fully realised autonomy based on the word counts of autonomy-related
words in the recorded interview data. As seen in the learners’ affective state andregulation continuum in Figure 1, the darker the filling, the more positive; the lighter, themore negative.
LA1: Learner’s Affective State and Regulation

negative“English can be learnt and is easy to study likesomeone on YouTube who looks cool.” (Hana)“I believe I can do it.” (Kei)positive

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LA2: Learners’ Behavioural Change
reactive

proactive“I attempted to participate in an essay
competition.” (Hana)“Also, I work with my friend to teach mostly
sixth-grade students at an orphanage close to
my home.” (Hana)“I inquired about what was lacking, fixed what
was incorrect, and did revisions according to
the teacher’s suggestions.” (Kei)LA3: Learners’ Constraints
uncontrolledcontrolled“I was afraid when communicating andfrustrated when I did not find a way to study.”(Hana)“The materials are new, so I have difficulty
understanding materials.” (Kei)“When face-to-face, learning together is veryfun. When online, it was okay.” (Kei)LA4: External Push and Support
unresponsive

responsive“With the teacher’s help, I can understand thevaluable stuff.” (Hana)“When there is a presentation, I will continue
to learn. The interaction with classmates isquite excellent and fascinating.” (Kei)Figure 1. The Four Focal Factors of Learner Autonomy Development
I adopted Tung and Huang’s operational model of learner autonomy development (2022)
to illustrate the development of learner autonomy in Hana and Kei concerning three timepoints. The diagrams in Figure 2 were produced using CorelDRAW (CorelDRAW, 2021) to show
how learner autonomy is aided or hindered. The width of the lines connecting the nodes
indicates how closely they are connected: the darker the lines, the stronger the connection.
The stronger the component’s disposition (i.e., positivity or negativity) is within each node, thehigher the node’s filling is. The status of the component on a continuum is indicated for thefilling using a scale of greyness.
Preparing a visual representation using CorelDRAW lets us see the relative variationof the four factors over time. The variations in shading allow us to represent slight shifts
which occur gradually along a continuum. The following four phenomena were observed
when Hana’s and Kei’s learning states were perturbed under external stimuli, for instance,
learning online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. First, Hana and Kei’s affective states,
through regulation, became positive or negative. Second, in the spectrum of learner
behavioural change, Hana and Kei either became proactive or stayed reactive in theirlearning in various contexts over time. Third, Hana and Kei either used a positive strategy
to lessen the effects of the limitations or adopted a neutral-to-negative strategy and madelittle effort to lessen the effects. They were heading towards the regulated or uncontrolled
ends of the continuum of learners’ restrictions based on their methods. Fourth, and most38

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importantly, all the activities and alterations were connected to the presence of external
stimuli and support in the environment and how much Hana and Kei were responsive tothem. Hana and Kei interacted with the surroundings and other people, and they wereprepared to take on difficulties. Their reactions to the stimulus and support were either
positive or negative on a continuum of external push and support.
Hana’s Learner Autonomy Development

Before starting university

First semester

Second semester

Kei’s Learner Autonomy Development

Before starting university

First semester

Second semester

Figure 2. Hana and Kei’s Learner Autonomy Development Across Three Time-Points

1. Before Starting University

In this section, I focus on Hana’s and Kei’s learner autonomy state of development prior
to university. According to my intuitive observation, I predicted that Hana would haveachieved a higher level of learner autonomy before starting university than Kei had at
the time of the June 2022 interview. The interview results showed that Kei was moreautonomous than Hana in all three of the four focal factors, especially the first andfourth (Figure 3). The discussion which follows explains the complex interplay of learnerautonomy development for Hana and Kei in the four factors: LA1-LA4.

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Hana

Kei

Figure 3. Hana and Kei’s Learner Autonomy Before Starting University

LA1: Hana and Kei’s Affective State and Regulation

This focal factor involves four components: the learner’s beliefs, emotions, motivation,and self-reflection. Hana’s affective state was initially marked by disappointment. Before
starting her tertiary education, Hana happened to experience a failure in learning English
during her senior high school, in which she got 30 out of 100 on her English test. Hana felt
hopeless. She believed that it was because of her teacher because there was no problem
learning English when she moved to a new class with a different English teacher. During
her hardship in learning English with her former teacher, she overcame this by finding an
intelligent friend who liked English to boost her enthusiasm for learning English. Hana’s
initial feeling of hopelessness was shown to be altered under the influence of anotherfocal factor, external support, which was from her friend and a new, better teacher.
In contrast, the original condition in Kei’s system had an entirely positive affective
state. Kei showed more positive emotions in senior high school. He recalled his successful
English experience when he became the only student in his class who could answer a
vocabulary quiz. He was thrilled. This event encouraged him to study harder. The interplay
between the four focal factors was dynamic under Kei’s original conditions because of theopportunity to experience a sense of accomplishment during his senior high school years.

LA2: Hana and Kei’s Behavioural Changes

For Hana and Kei, the main focus was changing or adapting learners’ behaviours, whichalters their attitudes and facilitates better problem-solving. Supportive people around
Hana, such as her teacher and a friend, influenced her to learn English. Her high school
teacher, who had given her that low score of 30 out of 100 on a test, was a negative
influence because the teacher had first led her to believe that English was challenging.
However, she maintained a reactive approach to her learning endeavours, refraining fromproactively seeking strategies to enhance her learning efficacy. Kei, who derived pleasurefrom learning English, engaged in more effective study practices. He harboured a desire to
avoid falling behind his peers.

LA3: Hana and Kei’s Constraints

This focal point’s operational definition is anything that hinders learning. In significant
part, Hana and Kei were restricted by their psychological circumstances. Hana’s mood40

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primarily influenced her ability to learn. She reported that her interest in learning varied
depending on her feelings:
Hana: When I am in the mood, I become enthusiastic about learning and vice versa.
The interview revealed that her melancholy and overanalyses hindered her learning:
Hana: (My psychological condition hindering learning was) when I am sad andoverthinking.
Hana’s enthusiasm for learning English waned due to her high school teacher’s negative
influence; however, with the support of her friend during high school, her enthusiasm wasrekindled.
Kei’s stage fright, fear of being incorrect, and insecurity made it difficult for him tointeract socially and learn English before and during university studies. As a high school
and university student, he had never participated in extracurricular activities related toEnglish learning. Both before and after college, Kei felt the need to learn English eventhough he had previously claimed he did not feel pressured to do so. As a result, in
addition to fearing public speaking, he occasionally lacked motivation, making learning
English difficult. When asked about the obstacle of learning English in the interview, hesaid:
Kei: Sometimes I am lazy.
Before embarking on their university journey, Kei and Hana found themselves unable tosurmount those limitations.
Their perceptions of their inadequacy and incapability also limited Hana and Kei. Hanamentioned it in the interview five times, less than Kei (seven times). When Hana was asked
about her English competency, she said:
Hana: I still have many deficiencies that should be improved.
She mentioned that English communication was challenging. She was not confident inlearning and lacked grammar. In addition, her perception of inadequacy can also beinterpreted from the interview when she said that her short-term goal was to be more
fluent in English and her long-term goal was to improve in English day by day. She also
highlighted the areas in which she thought she was inadequate:
Hana: (The biggest challenge for me when learning English is) grammar andpronunciation.
On the other hand, the areas in which Kei thought he was inadequate were vocabulary
and materials.
Kei: My ability is 7 out of 10. My ability is still lacking in vocabulary and materials, so I
must keep learning independently.

LA4: External Push and Support for Hana and Kei

External push is defined as the motivation that comes from meeting the demands of thecourse or meeting the expectations of others, and external support is the help received
from others, including peers, items, internet resources, and other people who can help
(Tung & Huang, 2022, p. 234). The critical element is linked to significant individuals in
learners’ lives and learning activities. In high school, Kei excelled in class participation andwas the best student at responding to the teacher’s questions.
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Kei: When I was in high school, and the teacher asked us each a question, I was
overjoyed that I was the only one who could answer it.
In this instance, the quiz administered by Kei’s high school teacher significantly contributed
to fostering Kei’s autonomy. However, Hana’s friend, serving as her external support
following her teacher’s discouragement, was unable to significantly influence her adoptionof effective learning strategies to excel in her studies.

2. First Semester

This section allows us to see the complex interplay of learner autonomy development for
Hana and Kei during the first semester of their university education, specifically from August
to December 2021. The interview data were used to determine the shade, consideringHana’s achievement in an essay competition and Kei’s challenges comprehending newmaterials when learning online during the COVID-19 pandemic, both of which I will discuss inmore detail later. In Figure 4, you can see that Hana exhibited a greater level of autonomy incomparison to Kei across four focal factors.

Hana

Kei

Figure 4. Hana and Kei’s Learner Autonomy in the First Semester

LA1: Hana and Kei’s Affective State and Regulation

Hana generally displayed more positive emotions and stronger motivation once sheentered college. Hana reported that during their first semester of study in higher
education, she experienced a sense of achievement when she became the first winner inan essay competition. Although she felt frustrated while preparing for the competition,
when she won, she felt relieved and thought all her hard work had paid off. Because ofthis experience, she believed everything is possible if one always tries and never gives up.
When asked what she learnt from her English learning experience, she said:
Hana: Don’t give up. You can if you want to try.
On the other hand, Kei was not enjoying his online English class in the first semester.
His affective state became negative because of the emotional difficulties brought on by
the stimuli of learning online. He was regretful when he felt left behind in learning, eventhough he had tried hard to study English. He was discouraged because everyone in hisclass seemed to understand the materials except him. Kei also claimed that he identified
his fear of public speaking through self-reflection. Kei’s lack of motivation was evident
in his first semester exam scores (66 and 60 out of 100). He struggled to comprehend
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the course materials and lacked accessible peers for seeking assistance or engaging inacademic discourse.

LA2: Hana and Kei’s Behavioural Changes

Hana and Kei changed their learning behaviours and attitudes toward solving problems.
After being inspired by her friend and encouraged by me to enter an English competitionin the first semester, Hana positively altered her attitude to learning English. Hana listened
to me, her teacher, about language strategies and consulted with me when she faceddifficulties in learning. For example, she asked for her essay and speech feedback via
WhatsApp when preparing for a competition. She also revised the draft and confirmed theresult to ensure everything was perfect. However, Kei refrained from seeking assistance
while grappling with comprehension difficulties, compounded by the absence of in-person
interaction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which hindered his progress in learning English.

LA3: Hana and Kei’s Constraints

Overall, Kei mentioned negative mental states in the interview 15 times, for instance:
Kei: I can’t. I always can’t. I can’t yet.
I thought why I can’t. How come I can’t when my friends can?
I worried I couldn’t do like (my parents) their expectation.
However, Kei made little effort to lessen the effects of limitations when he took an online
class at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. He described his online learning as ‘okay’
instead of ‘very fun’, in which he portrayed the learning atmosphere of learning English in
the classroom in the second semester.
Kei: When face-to-face, learning together is very fun. When online, it was okay.
Hana mentioned the negative mental states in the interview seven times, for instance:
Hana: I was afraid when communicating and frustrated when I did not find a way to
study.
Learning English has been challenging and strange since I was a kid.
I was so hopeless.
Her limitation was controlled by her friend and me, who were resources Hana tapped.

LA4: External Push and Support for Hana and Kei

As part of my efforts to build learner autonomy, when I am teaching, I always talk tostudents about setting learning goals, solving their own learning issues, and evaluating theresults at the beginning of every semester. I also allow students to collaborate on groupprojects, push them to participate in English competitions, and provide support whenrequired. Those meetings with me must have been part of the support which helped Hanaand Kei become more autonomous.
External stimuli disrupted the four fundamental parts of the system, but the effectsof the disruption vanished after external support. In the first semester, Hana appeared
to challenge herself to join an English competition while being exposed to the stimuli
since she was open to feedback. The four essential elements consequently began to(inter)act, and their interactions became more dynamic after Hana experienced a sense ofaccomplishment after winning the competition.
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Investigating Learner Autonomy Development Through a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory Lens

Hana responded to external push. Because various alterations in her affective,
cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioural domains were seen, Hana had been in an active
state from the standpoint of CDST. Hana was driven to improve her English and evendreamed of studying or travelling abroad. She looked at the score in her online Academic
Information System to keep track of her development. If Hana received a poor score,
she would use learning techniques to raise it, such as reading scholarly papers. Hana
explained in the interview.
Hana: When I had unpleasant experiences, I learnt. I’ll work harder.
Her grades improved in the first semester, and she received a perfect score on the midsemester test in the second semester. Because of her previous flawless score, she may
not have studied as diligently as she should have, as her final exam score dropped.
In Kei’s case, the four major components interacted less when exposed to external
stimuli like online learning activities. Kei had been less responsive to external support.
Two semesters of English learning at university forced him to receive different knowledge
inputs and learning methods. Kei’s response to the English class was dynamic. During
online learning in the first semester, he mentioned that English learning was just okay.
He prepared and learnt before presenting in front of the class. The instructional activities
in the first semester facilitated Kei’s English learning adequately, albeit not attaining theremarkable standards observed in the second semester.

3. Second Semester

This section focuses on how Hana’s and Kei’s learner autonomy was aided or hinderedduring the second semester of their university education, from January to June 2022.
Based on the recorded interview, while Hana’s lack of cooperative group members limited
her ability to learn English, Kei’s classmates supported his learner autonomy, as I will
explain in this section. Kei outperformed Hana in terms of autonomy, especially when it
came to the second and fourth focal factors (see Figure 5).

Hana

Kei

Figure 5. Hana and Kei’s Learner Autonomy in the Second Semester

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LA1: Hana and Kei’s Affective State and Regulation

Hana’s self-reflective belief affected her language development inside and outside theclassroom. When she got scores, she reflected on herself, evaluated her learning, andsucceeded in improving them in the next exam, except for her final score in the second
semester, which dropped markedly. Her sense of accomplishment from winning thetournament seemed to help sustain her motivation over time. Hana’s belief in English alsochanged from what was thought difficult to something that could be achieved with effort.
Hana: In my mindset, English was challenging and strange. After I knew the strategies,
it changed.
According to Hana, the ideal English learning is learning slowly, depending on the skill
level. She also mentioned that because of me, she finally understood how to study.
Besides trying to compete in an English contest, Hana followed her friend, whose study
programme was English, to teach English to 20 orphaned elementary school students.
Kei held on to the belief to keep learning even when encountering challenges incomprehending the materials. He struggled to understand the materials in the first andsecond semesters as he was unfamiliar with the materials being studied. Finally, as thefollowing excerpt demonstrates, he recognised his progress in this area at the end of thesecond semester:Kei: My knowledge is more open and abundant. The materials are new, so I havedifficulty understanding materials. So far, the learning is quite good, but I have not fully
understood the materials. There are things I can do and things I cannot.
Kei was utterly convinced that he would be successful in his endeavours. Therefore, even
if he encountered dissatisfaction when learning English, he would try to find a solution to
the problem and move forward. As an illustration, Kei made an additional effort to recall thematerials by rereading the materials that were delivered to him. He started paying closer
attention because he did not want to make the same error twice while learning. He studied
on his initiative and with greater diligence. In addition, he attempted the arduous task ofasking for assistance from other people. Kei mentioned this point in the interview when he
was asked to reflect on his interaction with his peers and me:
Kei: I’m still unsure and not confident when communicating with Mrs Ratna. If it’s withfriends, sometimes I hesitate, and sometimes I don’t. I’m not confident (communicatingwith foreigners), I’m afraid.
I hesitated when I had an assignment if I asked the wrong question and it was not right.
I was confident working in groups, especially when I fit the job.
Unfortunately, from high school until his first year of college, Kei had never planned
his studies because he was not motivated to learn English and merely wanted to pass
the exam. However, he was compelled to alter his approach since he did not want to fallbehind his classmates. It was discovered that he generated motivation to overcome hisconstraints due to the influence of another focal factor—external push and support. I lookat external push and support in more detail below under “LA4: External Push and Supportfor Hana and Kei.”

LA2: Hana and Kei’s Behavioural Changes

From Hana’s self-evaluation at the end of the second semester, the negative learning
experience was due to strategy ignorance and other external factors. In contrast, theLearner Development Journal • Issue 7 • December 2023

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reason for the positive learning experience was an inspiring friend and supportive
teacher. Believing these reasons, in the second semester, she still asked me for advice if
she was having difficulty learning English. However, after Hana ran into a problem—a lackof a supportive companions to learn English— she began independent learning: reading
English journals, viewing English instructional videos, reading quotations (a short piece ofwriting taken from a book and repeated because it is interesting or useful) from YouTube,and watching movies with English subtitles.
Kei changed from isolated independent learning to interdependent learning withpeers to address his learning issues. At first, he would engage in self study by gatheringresources and references from journals and publications. Still, he began collaboratingwith others by asking what was missing from his work, fixing any errors, and rewriting it inlight of my feedback. The development was evidenced from the interview when I asked his
opinion on the second semester of learning English, as revealed in the following excerpt:
Kei: It’s more fun because it’s face-to-face and easier to understand. Moreover, I could
exchange ideas with friends. We could discuss it together.
The interview revealed Kei’s uneasiness and a lack of confidence in his ability tocommunicate with his friends, me, and even a foreigner, which was a massive change
for him. The most frequent and typical techniques utilised by Kei were discovered to begathering resources. When composing an assignment to generate an article, for instance,
he stated:
Kei: I explore for information that suits the title and references from experts’ articles
to arrange them in the essay.
His preferred methods of learning included reading textbooks and watching Englishlanguage videos. Although he never made a study plan, he anticipated the materials
and reviewed the ones delivered from me to him. He also looked for materials related
to English knowledge skills that he had not yet mastered (i.e., part of speech, how toconstruct a grammatically correct sentence). Over time, he generally displayed positive
behavioural change, especially in collaborative learning. In the interview, he mentionedthat his interaction motivated him to learn English:
Kei: The interaction with classmates is quite excellent and fascinating.

LA3: Hana and Kei’s Constraints

Their perceptions of their inadequacy and incapability continued to limit Hana and Kei inthe second semester. Hana mentioned it in the interview five times, and Kei seven times.
When Hana was asked about her English competency, she said:
Hana: I still have many deficiencies that should be improved.
She mentioned that English communication was challenging. She was not confident inlearning and lacked grammar. In addition, her perception of inadequacy can also beinterpreted from the interview when she said that her short-term goal was to be more
fluent in English and her long-term goal was to improve in English day by day. Hana also
highlighted the areas in which she thought she was inadequate:
Hana: (The biggest challenge for me when learning English is) grammar and pronunciation.
On the other hand, the areas in which Kei thought he was inadequate were mastering
vocabulary and understanding class materials.
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Kei: My ability is 7 out of 10. My ability is still lacking in vocabulary and materials, so I
must keep learning independently.
Fortunately, Kei could overcome his limitations in the second semester when he became
comfortable with the classroom activities and interactions.
Hana’s motivation eventually lessened her limitations. First, Hana was inspired toimitate her friend who hitherto won a storytelling competition. Even though she lacked
confidence in writing and speaking, she entered an essay competition. She admitted it wasdifficult due to her hectic schedule and numerous tasks, but she grew accustomed to it.
Second, a YouTube English language expert inspired her to learn English more effectively.
Hana mentioned her habit of learning English:
Hana: I often take one minute to study from YouTube, such as the English class andthe quotations.
In the class, she read, while outside the class, she and her friend, an English student, spent
their free time teaching English to 20 elementary school students in an orphanage.
Despite her constraints, Hana’s beliefs could motivate her to act or improve herlearning. She believed it was her responsibility to learn English, so she went online tosocial platforms like YouTube to access English class channels or to read quotations.
Classroom observations also showed her participation in educational activities andon-time assignment submissions. In the second semester, she acknowledged that it waschallenging to discover a supportive practice partner for English communication. She
anticipated having a study partner and peer mentor that she could call on. The reason
was that perhaps the group project focused on writing, which might not give opportunities
to speak English. Moreover, the members of her group might not have been cooperative
as they often skipped the class (more than two meetings), and their score was lower thanHana’s: Their mid-term exam scores (out of 100) were 81 and 63, while Hana achieved 100.
Kei’s motivation and belief likewise helped him to manage his limitations. Kei claimed
in the interview that he was driven to learn English better than others and to become abetter person. This motivation likely resulted from his positive learning experience in highschool. Also, Kei believed in himself and acted when he ran into a problem.
Kei: I believe I can do it. I also have to learn more independently, even though there aremany ways to get distracted while learning, such as games.
Additionally, he stated in the interview that he wanted to perform well on the test because
the grade had a negative impact on his confidence and motivation. He said that as a resultof his limitations he was preparing hard for the exam:
Kei: I need confidence and study independently, repeatedly reviewing the material.
The second semester was when Kei finally started to feel more comfortable wheninteracting in class. Kei grew more open to interacting with his friends as his belief forced
him to alter his learning attitude, as doing so helped him gain the strength he needed to
face his limitations eventually. At long last, he started behaving differently, and his mood
improved. Despite his phobia of public speaking, he became more adventurous wheninteracting with friends and using language in conversation. Kei’s learner autonomy was
assisted in specific ways as the value of each of the four parts changed over time, andtheir interactions grew more dynamic.

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LA4: External Push and Support for Hana and Kei

After the COVID-19 pandemic, Kei returned to face-to-face learning in the second semester,and the dynamic interaction of the four focal factors was more present. Regarding theexternal push, the requirement to interact with his classmates in the learning activities(i.e., making a presentation in a group and sharing the result in front of the class) andgroup project (i.e., making an essay) forced Kei to be more socially interactive and engage
more in classroom discussions. As for external support, unlike Hana, Kei had never taken
part in extracurricular activities related to English. Nevertheless, the external support wasevidenced in the interview when he said his friends helped him with an assignment and told
him the answer. At the same time, I, his teacher, guided and provided him with knowledge
and materials. Moreover, the learning activities and interaction within the classroom madehim motivated to learn English. He mentioned in the interview:
Kei: When there is a presentation, I will continue to learn. The interaction withclassmates is quite good, so it is fascinating.
Thus, with his friends’ support, Kei improved his comprehension of learning materials
and social interactions. He initially thought that the materials were difficult to understand,but he successfully conquered them more than before. Because it was face-to-face learning,
it was easier to understand and more fun; he could exchange ideas and discuss themwith his friends. Though he had psychological constraints such as stage fright, he enjoyedinteracting with his friends during classroom activities. Finally, his writing project result was
impressive and among the best essays, and his score improved in the final exam.
In the second semester, Hana had issues, such as a lack of encouraging people topractise with her, as she resumed her studies in the second semester. She changed her
attitude from tapping into resources such as her friend and teacher to believing in herself.
Hana’s behavioural change was more proactive in the first semester but shifted to areactive stance after achieving a perfect mid-term exam score in the second semester,though not as reactive as before starting university. The end outcome was an obstructionof Hana’s developing learner autonomy.

Discussion

The findings of this study suggest that four focal factors impacted the development ofHana and Kei’s learner autonomy. The results are similar to those of Tung and Huang’s(2022), even though the dynamic interaction between the components is distinctivefor Hana and Kei. In the first affective regulation Kei experienced a bad affective state
and regulations in the first semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic and online study.
However, his friends and teacher helped him improve in the second semester when they
had face-to-face classes and interaction. Due to her behaviour modification and instructor
assistance, Hana’s affective state and regulation increased from the first semester until
the middle of the second semester. Conversely, it declined at the end of the second
semester due to several conditions, including a lack of friends to support her in learning
English. Hana’s first-year college learner autonomy state of development demonstrated
the complexity of non-linear autonomy trajectories. While Hana’s autonomy did not seemto be severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kei’s autonomy was influenced by itas a constraint.
As a teacher I realised how important it is for me to assist pupils in comprehending
the various factors involved in overcoming their academic difficulties. The model utilised
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in this study, similar to the one created by Tassinari (2012), can offer guidance on how to
overcome learner limitations. If students believe that the external push or support theyreceive is insufficient, they can recall times when they got more outside encouragement
and made better progress. In this instance, Hana learnt that her friend was essential fromher experience. When Kei was in a tight spot, he looked for an appropriate resource.
Their relationship with me as a teacher was significant for both Hana and Kei, as seenby their reflections from the interview. In the first meeting, I encouraged them to be
independent learners and explained why. I then gave them comments on their workthroughout the meetings. If they had problems studying, I told them to contact me
via WhatsApp. Our comfortable relationship may make them listen to me and use myencouragement to take greater responsibility for their learning.
Hana: With the teacher’s help, I can understand the valuable stuff.
Kei: I inquired about what was lacking, fixed what was incorrect, and did revisions
according to the teacher’s suggestions.
Examining Hana’s and Kei’s cases, a foremost requisite of learner autonomy development
is offering opportunities for students to feel accomplished in learning English both within
and outside the classroom. The data analysis revealed that Hana and Kei experienced asense of achievement in learning English, which formed positive learners’ beliefs sustained
over time to facilitate the development of learner autonomy. It has been demonstrated thatthe learner’s affective state, a factor in autonomous learning (Tassinari, 2016), unlocks theinteractions of the other three variables, potentially causing behavioural changes, lessening
restrictions, and sparking responses to the stimuli. Thanks to their positive beliefs, Hana andKei were encouraged to solve learning problems independently and seize chances provided
by others (behavioral engagement) and by themselves (agentic engagement). This agentic
engagement could lead to more autonomy support, which would increase autonomy
satisfaction (Reeve, 2022).
Hana: “English can be learnt and is easy to study like someone on YouTube who looks
cool.”
Kei: “I believe that I can do it. I also must learn more independently even though there
are many distractions in learning, such as games.”
In addition to their beliefs, learners’ intrinsic motivation is crucial. Since the beginning of
the semester, when I questioned Hana and Kei about their motivation in learning English,
they showed awareness of the relevance of English to their banking studies and even theirlong-term goals.
Hana: I wish to travel overseas if there is a chance in the next five years.
Hana desired to either study or go abroad. As a result, starting in the first semester, Hana
kept studying English outside the classroom despite having a busy schedule. She tutored
20 orphan elementary school pupils in the language while competing in English-speaking
events. I gave Hana performance feedback, motivated, and reassured her. When she
finally succeeded, she was happy and believed her efforts had been worthwhile. Until
she achieved the perfect score on the mid-term exam in the second semester, she also
constantly watched her test results and worked harder to enhance them. During thesecond semester, she struggled to find a study partner, which affected her motivation andreduced her grade. In the interview, she spoke about her friend’s significant contribution:

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Hana: Having a companion to study with and receive feedback from increases mymotivation.
Kei’s long-term, more abstract aim of improving in five years and his short-term, exampassing English learning goals gave him the drive to do well in class. In the first semester,
he was shocked when he learnt that everyone in his class seemed to understand thematerials except him, even though he had tried hard to study. Due to unfamiliar materials,
online learning distractions, and the inability to ask questions, several of my students,
including Kei, had trouble understanding the lesson. Along with group learning activities
that allowed them to support one another and share problem-solving techniques, I also
gave them a list of activities they could do independently, including watching educational
videos on YouTube or reading a reference book. In the second semester, Kei gained thecourage to approach his friends and received a profound sense of encouragement fromthem. As a result, his grade considerably increased from 60s in the first semester to 90s
and a perfect score in the second.

Conclusion

The interplay of students’ affective states and regulation, behavioural changes, theconstraints they face, and the push as well as support they receive from externalsources collectively play a major role in the development of learner autonomy. While thisstudy has offered valuable insights through its in-depth examination of Hana and Kei’s
experiences, it is important to acknowledge its qualitative nature and limited sample
size. This research serves as a foundational exploration, paving the way for future, morecomprehensive investigations that can delve deeper into the intricate dynamics of learnerautonomy in diverse educational settings.
Having gained a profound understanding of Hana and Kei’s learner autonomy
trajectories, this study has provided me, as a teacher, with actionable insights to bettersupport my students’ autonomy development. I now recognize the importance of creating
opportunities for my students to taste success both within and beyond the classroom,
fostering peer interactions, and encouraging their active engagement in extracurricular
activities. Moreover, the significance of providing social and academic support to mitigate
learning constraints and address cognitive and emotional challenges arising from external
factors is evident. Grounded in complex dynamic systems theory in Indonesia, thisresearch highlights central factors such as affective regulation, external circumstances,teacher-student relationships, achievement, and intrinsic motivation, offering practicalguidance and possible directions for educators to cultivate learner autonomy effectively
with their own learners in the local contexts where they work.

Review ProcessThis article was open peer-reviewed by Tomoko Hashimoto and Colin Rundle of the
Learner Development Journal Review Network. (Contributors have the option of open or
blind peer review.)

Author Bio

Ratna Yunita is an assistant professor at the State Islamic Institute of Ponorogo, Indonesia.
She holds an MA in Education (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) from the Universityof Birmingham, UK. Her teaching and research interests are in the areas of English for50

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Ratna Yunita

academic/specific purposes, second language acquisition, and computer-assisted language
learning.

Ratna Yunitaはインドネシア the State Islamic Institute of Ponorogoの助教である。
英国バーミンガム大学大学
院で教育学修士（TEFL）を取得した。
教育実践と研究ではEAP・ESP、第二言語習得、CALLといった分野に関心がある。

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Appendix

Interview Guide

Interview Questions in Bahasa Indonesia

English Translation

English Learning Experiences
1.
1. Ceritakan secara mendalam (kapan,
dimana, bagaimana, kenapa)
pengalaman suksesmu dalam belajar
bahasa Inggris (contoh: yang paling2.
menyenangkan)?
2. Ketika kamu mengingat pengalaman
itu, apakah kamu menggunakan suatu
strategi dalam proses pembelajaran
bahasa Inggris? Bagaimana
3.
perasaanmu saat itu? Apa yang kamu
pelajari dari pengalaman itu?
3. Ceritakan secara mendalam (kapan,
4.
dimana, bagaimana, kenapa)
pengalaman tidak suksesmu dalambelajar bahasa Inggris (contoh: yangpaling menantang)?
4. Ketika kamu mengingat pengalaman
5.
itu, apakah kamu menggunakan suatu
strategi dalam proses pembelajaran
bahasa Inggris? Bagaimana
perasaanmu saat itu? Apa yang kamu
6.
pelajari dari pengalaman itu?
5. Menurut kamu faktor apa yang bisa
menyebabkan pengalaman baik atau
buruk tersebut? Setelah pengalaman7.
tersebut apa yang kamu lakukan?
6. Apakah tantangan terbesarmu ketika
8.
mempelajari bahasa Inggris? Pernahkahkamu mengatasi kesulitan? Bagaimana
9.
perasaanmu saat itu?
7. Apa pengalamanmu dalam belajar
10.
sehingga membuat hasil yang negatif?
8. Apa pengalamanmu dalam belajar
sehingga membuat hasil yang positif?
9. Apa pendapatmu tentang pembelajaran
satu tahun ini?
10. Apa pendapatmu tentang pembelajaran
satu semester ini?

Tell in depth (when, where, how, why)your successful experience in learning
English (e.g., the most enjoyable)?
When you remember that experience,
did you use a strategy in the processof learning English? How did you feelthen? What did you learn from thatexperience?
Tell in depth (when, where, how, why)your experience of failure in learning
English (e.g., the most challenging)?
When you remember that experience,
did you use a strategy in the processof learning English? How did you feelthen? What did you learn from thatexperience?
What do you think are the factorsthat can lead to such a good or bad
experience? After that experience,
what are you doing?
What’s your biggest challenge inlearning English? Have you everovercome any difficulties? How did you
feel then?
What experience do you have in
learning to produce negative results?
What experience do you have in
learning to produce positive results?
What do you think of this one-year
study?
What do you think of this one-semester
study?

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Investigating Learner Autonomy Development Through a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory Lens

Interview Questions in Bahasa Indonesia

English Translation

Learning Habits
1. Ceritakan mengenai kebiasaan
1.
belajarmu?
2.
2. Apa yang kamu biasanya lakukan dikelas atau di rumah? Apakah kamu suka
merencanakan apa yang akan datang?

Tell me about your learning habits?
What do you usually do in class or
at home? Do you like to plan what’s
coming?

Possible L2 Selves, Ought-To L2 Selves
1. Bagaimana kamu melihat dirimu
sekarang? Diri apa yang kamu inginkan
dua tahun lagi? 5 tahun lagi? 10 tahunlagi?
2. Apakah itu merupakan apa yangkeluargamu harapkan? Bagaimana
perasaanmu ketika mereka
mengatakaan ekspektasi/harapan
mereka?
3. Apa yang kamu inginkan atau harapkan
sebelum lulus?
4. Apa yang kamu inginkan atau harapkan
setelah lulus?
5. Apa yang kamu inginkan atau harapkan
dalam pembelajaran bahasa Inggris?
6. Bagaimana kamu melihat dirimu
sebagai pelajar bahasa Inggris ketika
berkomunikasi dengan teman, guru,
atau orang asing?
7. Menurutmu, pelajar bahasa Inggris
yang ideal itu seperti apa?

1. How do you see yourself now? Whatdo you want in two years? 5 years? 10
years?
2. Is that what your family expects? How
do you feel when they attack their
expectations?
3. What do you want or expect before you
graduate?
4. What do you want or expect after you
graduate?
5. What do you want or expect in learning
English?
6. How do you see yourself as an English
student when communicating withfriends, teachers, or strangers?
7. What do you think the ideal English
student is like?

LA1: Learner’s Affective State and Regulation
Learner’s Beliefs
1. Berdasarkan pengalaman belajar yangkamu sampaikan, apa yang kamu
percayai waktu itu? Apa yang kamu
percayai sekarang? (Contoh: semua
usaha akan terbayarkan) Dapatkahkamu menjelaskannya?

1. Based on your learning experience, what
did you believe in at that time? Whatdo you believe now? (For example: allefforts will pay off) Can you explain it?

Emotion
1. Apakah kamu memiliki pengalaman
menarik atau tidak terlupakan dalambelajar bahasa Inggris?

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1. Do you have an interesting or
unforgettable experience in learning
English?

Learner Development Journal • Issue 7 • December 2023

Ratna Yunita

Interview Questions in Bahasa Indonesia
2. Apa perasaanmu saat belajar
bahasa Inggris? Apakah perasaan
itu berpengaruh dalam mempelajaribahasa Inggris? Bagaimana?
3. Pernahkah kamu merasa frustasi,
takut, cemas, atau malu dalam belajar
bahasa Inggris? Kapan? Bisakah kamu
ceritakan?
4. Pernahkah kamu merasa bahagia,senang, bersemangat, atau bangga
dalam belajar bahasa Inggris? Kapan?
Bisakah kamu ceritakan?

English Translation
2. What do you feel about learning
English? Does that feeling influencelearning English? How?
3. Have you ever felt frustrated, afraid,
anxious, or ashamed in learning
English? When? Can you tell me?
4. Have you ever felt happy, happy,
excited, or proud of learning English?
When? Can you tell me?

Motivation
1.
1. Apa motivasimu dalam belajar bahasa
Inggris?
2.
2. Apa motivasimu dalam mengerjakantugas bahasa Inggris?
3. Apakah kamu percaya diri dalam belajar 3.
bahasa Inggris?
4.
4. Bagaimana perasaanmu dalam belajar 5.
bahasa Inggris?
5. Apakah kamu termotivasi untuk
6.
menjadi lebih baik dari yang lain dalammempelajari bahasa Inggris?
7.
6. Apakah kamu termotivasi untuk
mendapatkan nilai bagus dalam tes?
8.
Kenapa?
7. Apakah kamu pernah merasa
melakukan sesuatu yang berarti dalambelajar bahasa Inggris?
8. Apakah kamu mempunyai sesuatu
keinginan dalam mempelajari bahasa
Inggris? Apa aitu?

What is your motivation in learning
English?
What is your motivation in doing yourEnglish assignment?
Are you confident in learning English?
ow did you feel about learning English?
Are you motivated to be better thanothers in learning English?
Are you motivated to get a good scorein the test? Why?
Have you ever felt doing something
meaningful in learning English?
Do you have any desire to learn
English? What’s that?

Self-Reflection (Metacognition and Reflection)
Problem/Self-awareness
1. Apa kekuatanmu dalam belajar bahasa 1. What are your strengths in learning
Inggris?
English?
2. Apa kekuranganmu dalam belajar
2. What are your shortcomings in studying
bahasa Inggris?
English?
3. Apa tantanganmu dalam belajar bahasa 3. What are your challenges in learning
Inggris?
English?
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Investigating Learner Autonomy Development Through a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory Lens

Interview Questions in Bahasa Indonesia
Self-Evaluation
1. Bagaimana pendapatmu mengenai
pengetahuan/kemampuan bahasa
Inggrismu?

English Translation
1. What do you think about yourknowledge of English?

LA2: Learner’s Behavioral Change
Problem-Solving Strategies
1. Ceritakan bagaimana kamu
menyelesaikan masalah ketika belajar
bahasa Inggris?
2. Langkah apa yang kamu lakukan untuk
meningkatkan pembelajaran bahasa
Inggris?
3. Langkah apa yang kamu lakukan untuk
mengatasi kurangnya pengetahuan
dan meneruskan percakapan bahasa
Inggris?
4. Langkah apa yang kamu lakukan
untuk mendapatkan informasi relevan
mengenai tugas bahasa Inggris?
5. Langkah apa yang kamu lakukan untuk
mereview, mengingat, dan memperoleh
informasi mengenai bahasa Inggris?
6. Langkah apa yang kamu lakukan
untuk berinteraksi dengan orang lain,menyelesaikan masalah, atau bekerja
sama dengan mereka?
7. Apakah kamu merencanakan
penyelesaian suatu tugas/projek? Jika
iya, bagaimana?
Learning Attitudes
1. Apa perasaan atau pikiran negatifmu
mengenai belajar bahasa Inggris?
2. Apa perasaan atau pikiran positifmu
mengenai belajar bahasa Inggris?

1. Tell me how you solve problems whenlearning English?
2. What steps have you taken to improve
English learning?
3. What steps do you take to overcome
your lack of knowledge and continue
your English conversation?
4. What steps are you taking to get
relevant information about your English
assignments?
5. What steps have you taken to review,
remember, and acquire information
about English?
6. What steps will you take to interact withothers, solve problems, or collaborate
with them?
7. Are you planning on completing a task/
project? If so, how?

1. What are your negative feelings or
thoughts about learning English?
2. What are your positive feelings or
thoughts about learning English?

LA3: Learner’s Contraints
1. Adakah kondisi (fisik/psikologis/
sosial) yang mencegah kamu dalammempelajari sesuatu? (contoh: kondisi
fisik tidak memungkinkan untuk
bermain basket, demam panggung,keluarga tidak mendukung/percaya
kemampuanmu)
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1. Is there a condition (physical/
psychological/social) that prevents you
from learning something? (Examples:
physical condition not allowed to playbasketball, stage fever, family does notsupport/believe your abilities)

Learner Development Journal • Issue 7 • December 2023

Ratna Yunita

Interview Questions in Bahasa Indonesia

English Translation

Physical Constraints
1.

Adakah kondisi fisik yang mempengaruhi/ 1. Do you have any physical conditions
menghambat kamu dalam belajar bahasathat prevent you from learning English?
Inggris?

Psychological Constraints
1. Adakah kondisi psikologis yangmempengaruhi/menghambat kamu
dalam belajar bahasa Inggris?
2. Apakah kamu merasa ada yangmenghambat dalam belajar bahasa
Inggris?
3. Apakah kamu merasa dipaksa dalambelajar bahasa Inggris?

1. Do you have a psychological condition
that prevents you from learning
English?
2. Do you feel any obstacles to learning
English?
3. Do you feel compelled to learn English?

Social Constraints (Parental Expectations)
1. Apakah kamu merasa kurang
memiliki keterampilan sosial sehingga
menghambat dalam belajar bahasa
Inggris? Apa itu?
2. Apakah kamu merasa ekspektasi darikeluarga menghambat dalam belajar
bahasa?

1. Do you feel that you lack social skills
so that it prevents you from learning
English? What is it?
2. Do you feel the expectations of thefamily hinder language learning?

LA4: External Push and Support
Significant Others
1.
Dalam mempelajari bahasa Inggris,adakah orang lain yang mempunyai
pengalaman atau pengetahuan lebihyang kamu tahu atau bahkan membantu 2.
kamu?
2. Dalam keluargamu, apakah ada yang3.
berperan dalam pembelajaran bahasa
Inggris? Apa perannya?
4.
3. Apa peran temanmu dalam mempelajaribahasa Inggris?
4. Apa peran guru/dosen dalammempelajari bahasa Inggris?
1.

In learning English, is there anyone else
who has more experience or knowledge
than you know or even helps you?
Is anyone in your family involved inlearning English? What’s the role?
What is your friend’s role in learning
English?
What is the role of the teacher/lecturer
in learning English?

Learning (/Extracurricular) Activities
1.

Apakah kamu ikut dalam kegiatan yangberhubungan dengan pembelajaran
bahasa Inggris (contoh: ekstra bahasa
Inggris, komunitas debat)? Dapatkahkamu bercerita tentang itu?

1. Do you participate in activities related
to learning English (e.g., extra English,
debate community)? Can you tell me
about that?

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Investigating Learner Autonomy Development Through a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory Lens

Interview Questions in Bahasa Indonesia

English Translation

Learner’s Environment (and Interaction)
1. How’s the English learning atmosphereBagaimana atmosfer pembelajaran
bahasa Inggris di kelas?
in the classroom?
2. Bagaimana stimulus pembelajaran
2. How is the stimulation of learning(contoh: tugas/aktivitas pembelajaran,(e.g., tasks/learning activities, use of
penggunaan teknologi) bahasa Inggris ditechnology) English in the classroom?
kelas?
3. How do you interact with classmates in
3. Bagaimana interaksi dengan teman
learning English?
sekelas dalam pembelajaran bahasa
Inggris?
1.

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Learner Development Journal • Issue 7 • December 2023