Effect of Autonomous Learner Approach on Prospective Teachers' Critical Thinking Skills

Abstract

Autonomous learner approach facilitates the learning environment in which students become a responsible and self-directed learner. The purpose of this experimental study was to explore the effect of the autonomous learner approach on prospective teachers' critical thinking skills. The 'quasi-experimental pre-test posttest control group research design' was used for this study. The participants of this study were prospective teachers of M.A. Early Childhood Education, studying at the Institute of Education and Research, University of the Punjab, Lahore'. A self-developed critical thinking skills scale (CTSS) was used for collecting the data. Independent samples t-test and ANCOVA were used to analyse the data. Findings show that there was an effect of the autonomous learner approach on prospective teachers' self-directed learning skills. The conclusion demonstrates that the autonomous learner approach is requisite in developing critical thinking skills among prospective teachers.