Language teacher education as a two-way autonomy development process: Student teachers and teacher educators as learners

In recent years, higher education has faced substantial challenges primarily due to the rapid advancement of technology, which was further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Courses that were traditionally conducted in face-to-face settings have been abruptly moved online, forcing both teachers and students to reorganise their work, manage their time, and adapt to new methods of teaching and learning. Despite the evident limitations, this situation also presented an opportunity to contemplate the pressing need for supporting learner and teacher autonomy. The objective of this chapter is to contribute to the field by presenting data collected through a case study. The research was conducted during an online course on foreign language teaching methodology, specifically designed for language student teachers pursuing a master's degree. The study aimed to determine whether the course had successfully fostered teacher-learner autonomy in two directions: autonomy among the participating student teachers and autonomy regarding the course professor. The findings revealed that student teachers attained a good level of comprehension in task design for language teaching; however, they encountered difficulties in reflecting on their own roles as future educators. Additionally, the professor's endeavour to promote autonomy among her student teachers proved to have a significant impact on her own teaching style and professional development.