Autonomous learning in Cambodia: A solution for problematic educational conditions?

In 2019, the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) launched an initiative to promote autonomous learning among teachers, school directors, and students. MoEYS’ strategy was born out of the need to address persistent educational challenges faced by many Cambodians. After briefly discussing the construct of learner autonomy, this paper first examines the educational conditions that prompted MoEYS’ autonomous learning initiative. It then moves to explore the history of autonomous learning through the example context of foreign language education in Cambodia in order to provide insights into the rationale behind the initiative. The paper then closes with a discussion of how, in spite of difficulties, such insights and recent Cambodian research in support of them can collectively serve as a modern solution to the country’s educational issues and pave the way to its further progress in learning.