AUTONOMOUS LEARNING IN CONTEMPORARY EDUCATION

<doi>10.24250/jpe/1/2026/MIF/</doi>

Abstract

Autonomous learning emerges, within the framework of contemporary education, as an essential dimension in the development of 21st-century competencies, enabling the learner to become an active agent in their own cognitive and personal growth. It entails taking responsibility for educational decisions through the planning, monitoring, and regulation of the learning process in accordance with individual goals and available resources. Learning autonomy manifests itself both at the cognitive and metacognitive levels-through the capacity for self-reflection and critical self-assessment-and at the affective and motivational levels-through the cultivation of intrinsic motivation and self-esteem. The teacher’s role is redefined from that of a transmitter of knowledge to that of a facilitator of the formative process, supporting the learner’s transition from dependency to cognitive and decisional independence. At the same time, the integration of digital technologies broadens the opportunities for autonomous learning by providing contexts for content personalization and self-regulation of progress. Consequently, autonomy becomes a transversal competence, indispensable for lifelong learning, adaptation to social and professional change, and active participation in the community. From this perspective, autonomous learning is not merely a didactic strategy but a form of intellectual and civic emancipation that underpins the individual’s holistic development.