**5. Learner empowerment**

Empowerment in the academic setting is the approach and practice of supporting learners to become able to shape their learning and study for a sustainable future. So, learner empowerment is giving more autonomy and ownership for the learners in their learning in the instructional process and ultimately produces an intrinsic desire to learn [19]. Learners become effective in their learning when they are empowered. Learners should be empowered for every activity in the instructional process. When learners are empowered, they become motivated, work harder, and strive for a better performance [20]. For this to happen, the role of the instructors involves guiding and facilitating rather than transmitting information to the learners. This means the instructor has to make the teaching-learning process more active to empower the learners.

Furthermore, as to Schrodtet al. ([19], p. 184), empowered learners should:


In relation to this, Kirk et al. ([21], p. 589) found out "that highly empowered students reported better grades, fewer behavioral incidents, increased extracurricular participation and higher educational aspirations than students who were less empowered."

Therefore, empowerment is a process enabling the learner to think, believe, and carry out an activity and criticize his/her own work and made decisions autonomously. Thomas and Velthos as cited in Frymier and Houser [22], empowerment consists of four dimensions:


Therefore, empowerment can be seen as a goal aimed at cooperation, based on mutual respect, discovery of perspectives, development of vision, and provision of options for reaching creative solutions [23]. Angela [20] mentions that learner empowerment is both a means and an end. As a means, it helps learners to attain and enjoy quality learning. As an end, student empowerment is a desirable goal that all teachers should pursue because, when students feel that they can do something and do not feel powerless in their learning environment, the quality learning begins.

Angela [20] further explains the important components of student empowerment: empowerment through involvement and empowerment through partnership. Firstly, student empowerment is possible only through active involvement in their learning, and the best ways to empower students are to allow them prearranged and to let them make their own decisions. Secondly, student empowerment is not a one-party activity. It requires genuine understanding and acceptance on the part of the school authority, including teachers and the school administration. Without partnership, student empowerment in the school setting is impossible. To this effect, empowering students are essential, and the students should have confidence in the knowledge and skill they possess. This happens when they are empowered through a range of assessment methods.
