Establishing Self-Access Learning Centers in Saudi Universities: A Scoping Review

Self-Access Learning Centers (SALCs) are spaces for developing Language Learner Autonomy (LLA). Establishing SALCs in Saudi universities is essential for addressing the challenges students face due to their limited opportunities to practice English beyond the traditional classroom setting. This research aimed to identify the practices followed to promote LLA and determine whether there have been efforts to establish SALCs in Saudi universities. A scoping review, as an approach of evidence synthesis, was used to map 25 papers published between 2010 and 2023 as addressing practices of promoting LLA in Saudi universities. These papers were examined and coded in terms of their study identification, research methodology (i.e., design, target group, instruments, place of experiment), data analysis methods, results indicating the status of LLA, and referring to an established SALC in a Saudi university. The scoping review did not only outline the current state of research on LLA in Saudi Arabia but also emphasized the necessity of establishing SALCs as a strategic response to enhance LLA. It revealed a reliance on quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods, primarily through questionnaires and interviews, yet a notable absence of experimental programs was in the synthesized papers. Most strikingly, none of these papers referred to an established SALC in any Saudi University.