A lot of discussion on the feasibility of learner autonomy within
the school context has focussed on psychological, social and institutional
constraints which seem to be in conflict with the autonomy concept
and its operationalization. Basically, one can argue that the idea of
“pedagogy” is in contradiction with the notion of “autonomy”. The
purpose of my paper is to challenge this argument by proposing a flexible,
context-sensitive approach to learner autonomy against a more
radical view, without trivializing the basic concept or the assumptions
behind it. I will suggest some principles of a “pedagogy for autonomy”
deriving from an interpretative view of school education, and I will
discuss their implications on pedagogical roles, learning activities and
classroom discourse. Some attention will inevitably be devoted to teacher
development as a basic requirement to learner development, within a
framework where pedagogy and autonomy can meet.
