Scaffolding Autonomy: Educators’ Perceptions of Cognitive Skills in a Heutagogy-Based School in a Traditional Society

Abstract

The development of higher-order cognitive thinking skills has become a central objective of innovative pedagogies. While heutagogy is recognized as an approach that promotes autonomy, self-regulation, critical thinking, and metacognition, little is known about how educators perceive these skills during the planning and implementation stages of innovative schools within traditional cultural contexts. This qualitative case study examined the perceptions of fifteen educators and stakeholders who are members of a steering committee responsible for planning and establishing an innovative elementary school in an Arab city, whose pedagogical program is grounded in heutagogical principles. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal six interrelated themes. Participants perceived autonomy, self-regulation, informed choice, decision-making, creativity, and cognitive flexibility as essential competencies for future learners, while emphasizing the need for gradual scaffolding and cultural adaptation. In contrast, critical thinking and metacognition received limited attention in participants’ discourse, and implementing heutagogy required a shift in teachers’ professional identity, from knowledge transmitter to facilitator and designer of learning environments.