Tutoring for Autonomous Learning: Principles and Practice

SUMMARY The present emphasis on student‐led learning which enables learners to take the responsibility for the personal development that is required by employers (CBI, 1994) is seen by some to erode the professionalism of teachers while diminishing both their numbers and authority. This article argues that this is not the case and that the reverse is true. Autonomy in learners, which enables effective personal development, is primarily a quality issue and as such carries with it resource implications for learner guidance such as realistic staff‐student ratios, staff development and appropriate technology. The aim of this article is to discuss a possible definition of autonomy in psychological and behavioural terms, with a particular focus on the need for expert individual guidance which emphasizes explicitly the development of the learner's autonomy. The principles of tutoring which enable rather than restrict learner autonomy are described and demonstrated in examples of initiatives at the University of ...