The Interplay of Learner Autonomy and Interaction among EFL Students at an Indonesian Islamic University

Learner autonomy and classroom interaction are essential components of successful EFL learning. This study investigated autonomy and interaction among 67 English department students at Institut Agama Islam Negeri Kerinci of Indonesia, employing a quantitative design with a 42-item Likert-scale questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential analyses revealed high levels of autonomy and interaction across learner–learner, learner–teacher, and learner–content dimensions. A one-way ANOVA further indicated significant differences in interaction outcomes among groups with varying levels of autonomy. The findings suggest that teachers can promote autonomy and interaction through guided discussions, project-based learning, and peer feedback, while encouraging students to take greater responsibility for their learning. Providing students with choices in topics and learning methods can further enhance motivation and ownership. At the institutional level, policies and programs that support self-directed learning and meaningful classroom interaction are essential to ensure relevance to students’ needs in culturally specific contexts. This study is limited by its small sample size, single institutional setting, and reliance on questionnaire-based data. Future studies with larger and more diverse samples, integrating qualitative methods, are recommended to enrich understanding. Despite these limitations, the study contributes valuable insights by showing that Islamic university EFL students demonstrate high levels of autonomy and interaction, contrasting earlier findings in the Indonesian context.