“Self-directed learning” refers to a variety of behavioral and pedagogical processes that can be roughly generalized as involving the learner in purposefully guiding their own learning.
The term “self-directed learning” has been used to refer to practices in many settings, from unschooling, to democratic learning institutions and other alternative learning programs, to mainstream public schools and universities in the USA, western Europe, England, and elsewhere. Montessori education is a notable example of popular, widespread application of self-directed learning principles in schools. The term “self-directed learning” has been used to describe the processes of learning that adults do independently of school or other formal educational programs. As many as 80% of adult learners initiate self-directed learning activities. [1]
Some (perhaps many) principles of self-directed learning are advocated and practiced by parents, teachers, counselors, and others, even when they do not use the term. For example, a sense of control – which is key for self-directed learning – has been identified as an antidote for anxiety.[2] Another example is the valuing of “each human being [as] a unique individual who brings specific gifts, creative potential, and intentions to this life”, which is a hallmark of Waldorf education[3] and intrinsic to self-directed learning processes.
Similar concepts that appear to be used sometimes synonymously with self-directed learning include dynamic self-reliance, autonomous learning, democratic learning, independent learning, agile learning, and self-driven learning.
While specifics vary across learning applications, generally self-directed learning programs appear to emphasize participation by learners (often applying principles of democracy), some degree of autonomy, choice, and personal characteristics of learner self-directedness such as resourcefulness, initiative, and persistence.
Self Directed Learning is not expecting people to guide their own learning without help; actually quite the opposite appears to be the case in all but perhaps the most radical applications. Self-directed learning appears to be widely recognized as a construct that itself requires learning and development. People develop the ability to self-direct their learning. There are methods that educators may take to support and facilitate the development of characteristics of autonomy that are valuable for self-directed learning.
Research on “self-paced learning” (i.e., learning in which the learner moves to increasing levels of difficulty upon successful completion of some learning criteria) suggests that learning processes in which the learner is about 85% successful at avoiding errors are approximately optimal.[4] In other words, learning processes that include more than 15% error are likely to make it difficult to form an accurate model for improvement, while less error does not motivate as much learning, and, for sentient beings, may result in boredom. Applying this generally to the learning of self-directed learning suggests that too many failures to achieve desired outcomes (i.e., errors) in the process of attempting to guide a person’s own learning may lead that person to become discouraged and seek other methods for achieving their objectives. The concept of learning self-directed learning in a process that is not too difficult may also be described using terms from classical educational psychology, namely Lev Vygotsky’s “zone of proximal development” and Jerome Bruner’s “scaffolding,” in which learners are supported (i.e. scaffolded) in difficult but not too difficult practices (i.e., in the zone of proximal development) for developing self-directed learning understanding and skills (Figure 1).
Self-Directed Learning is not always purposefully controlled by the learner. It is recognized that learners engage in learning. People are naturally learners and will learn from almost any experience.
Self-Directed Learning is not the only behavioral option for solving problems and achieving (or attempting to achieve) desired outcomes. Learners will not necessarily engage in purposeful self-directed learning when provided with the freedom to choose. As Ponton and Carr (2000) wrote, “This decision [between self-directed learning and other behavioral strategies] is largely predicated on the expectation that particular behaviors will lead to valued outcomes, the premise of the expectancy value theory of cognitive motivation.” [5]
Figure 1. Conceptualization of learning self-directed learning. Research suggests that the yellow ring, or zone of proximal development, may be recognized by an error rate of about 15%, or conversely, by a success rate of about 85%.
[1] Tough (1982) reported in Ponton, K. and P. B. Carr. 2000. Understanding and promoting autonomy in self-directed learning. Current Research in Social Psychology, 5(19), Retrieved from http://www.uiowa.edu/crisp. Reproduced in Ponton, K. and P. B. Carr, eds. 2016. Autonomous and Self-Directed Learning: Agentic Perspectives. Watertree Press.
[2] Stixrud, W. and N. Johnson. 2018. The Self Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives. Penguin Books. USA.
[3] Core principles of public Waldorf education. https://www.publicwaldorf.org/core-principles
[4] Wilson, R. C., A. Shenhav, M. Straccia, and J. D. Cohen. 2019. The eighty five percent rule for optimal learning. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12552-4 (accessed Jan 2022).
[5] Ponton, K. and P. B. Carr. 1999. A quasi-linear behavioral model and an application to self-directed learning (NASA Technical Memorandum 209094). Hampton, VA: NASA Langley Research Center. Reproduced in Ponton, K. and P. B. Carr.eds. 2016. Autonomous and Self-Directed Learning: Agentic Perspectives. Watertree Press..