A Scoping Review on the Implementation of Autonomous Learning at the University Level in Kuwait: PAAET as a Case Study

Abstract

This paper is mainly a scoping review that explores the current body of knowledge related to the presence and growth of autonomous learning at the university level in Kuwait. The review was conducted to answer the research question “Can we implement autonomous learning at the university level in Kuwait?” To support this scoping review, a questionnaire consisting of eight opened-ended questions was designed that asked professors who teach in different colleges in The Public Authority for Applied Education and Learning (PAAET), one of the main and oldest universities in Kuwait, about their opinions on autonomous learning at the university level. The questionnaire served to allow the study to gather valuable primary data that contextualized the scoping review and added real time insights. One of the findings of the paper is that the initiation of the promotion of autonomous learning in Kuwait partially occurred because of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic required universities to engage in digital and remote learning so students’ academic progress could stay on schedule as much as possible. This phase naturally developed some university students’ ability to study in their own time and complete their assignments without an excessive amount of prodding from teachers. However, the literature published after the pandemic does not present a state of widespread proficiency when it comes to university students’ autonomy. Another finding is that current research stressed the effectiveness of interventions that directly target students’ lack of autonomy. However, there is little knowledge about the frequency in which these interventions are recommended or implemented. From a practical perspective, university level teachers will need to improve their communication skills so they can learn how to connect with students as individual learners. In addition, teachers at the university level should develop a line of communication with secondary school teachers in Kuwait. University students’ lack of preparation for autonomous learning is a sign that they are not being properly developed as scholars in their younger years. Teachers at the university level must communicate with secondary teachers to identify where the current gaps in practice are.