Investigating readiness for autonomy: A comparison of Malaysian ESL undergraduates of three public universities

In this competitive society it is essential to produce graduates who are autonomous, critical, competitive and capable of meeting with changing academic and professional needs. However, Thang (2001, 2003, & 2005) revealed that the undergraduates (both distance learners and on-campus learners) of the National University of Malaysia, a public university in Malaysia displayed a lack of autonomy in their learning of English as a Second Language (ESL) and seemed to prefer a more teacher-centred approach to learning. This present study is an extension of Thang’s studies. It compares the learner characteristics of Malaysian undergraduates of three public universities in order to find out to what extent the findings of Thang’s studies are applicable to other public universities. A quantitative approach using a questionnaire was used for the study. The data were analysed using item analysis, factor analysis and frequency analysis. The study revealed that a majority of the students from all three universities preferred a teacher-centred approach to learning. The authors propose that in interpreting autonomy in the Malaysian context, sociocultural factors should also be taken into consideration.