“The purpose of education is to enhance individual effectiveness in society and give learners practical knowledge and problem-solving skills” (John Dewey). According to Dewey, the purpose of education should not revolve around the acquisition of a pre-determined set of skills, but rather the realization of one's full potential and the ability to use those skills for the greater good. To prepare a learner for the future life means to give them command of themselves and the ready use of all their capacities.
Providing choices and opportunities to students allows them to develop at their own pace and follow their own interests. Excessive interference and over-direction on the part of adults can limit independence. Self-directed learning offers a model for constructing a supportive educational environment in which students learn independently, experience proximal development, and are guided by teachers acting as mentors. However, the shift from highly structured, teacher-directed instruction to genuine self-directed learning does not happen overnight. Moving from rigid control to authentic independence is a gradual process. The needle cannot jump; it must move deliberately. Self-directed learning represents an aspirational endpoint on that continuum. In order to move the needle toward this goal, students need structured opportunities to practice ownership before they are ready to assume full responsibility for their learning.
Why Self-Directed Learning?
Self-directed learning, as defined by Malcolm Knowles, is a process in which individuals take the initiative in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating goals, identifying resources, choosing and implementing strategies, and evaluating outcomes. It shifts the paradigm from a teacher-centered world to a learner-centered one, where the individual becomes the catalyst for his or her own knowledge gathering and performance.
An essential aspect of maturing is developing the ability to take increasing responsibility for one’s own life. In a world where knowledge expands rapidly and information quickly becomes obsolete, students must learn how to analyze problems, define what needs to be learned, access and evaluate information, and recognize their own limitations. No course can teach everything, and continued additions to the curriculum can lead to what Abrahamson describes as “curriculum hypertrophy.” Self-directed learning addresses this challenge by cultivating the habits and skills necessary for lifelong learning.
In practice, however, most classrooms begin somewhere earlier on that spectrum. Guided autonomy, scaffolded choice, and structured reflection are often the first steps toward cultivating truly self-directed learners.
Moving Toward Self-Directed Learning
When we began intentionally shifting toward greater student autonomy in one of my previous schools, my Grade 11 students were initially apprehensive, marked by uncertainty and disappointment. Four months later, they had grown more confident, relaxed into the joy of learning, and had begun developing the skills of lifelong learners.
At the start of each week, I shared the learning objectives for the topic along with the resources students would use, including videos, website links, practice problems, guided questions, and lecture notes. I outlined strategies for achieving these goals, and students chose the approaches that best supported their learning, allowing them to move through the content at their own pace.
To demonstrate understanding, students created summarized notes or mind maps. Once they completed their learning goals, they took an assessment. Each week, they also reflected on their progress, considering their learning processes, the depth of their understanding, what worked well, what could be improved, and areas requiring further development.
The teacher’s role was that of facilitator, coach, and fellow learner. Students moved quickly through material they readily understood, while the teacher provided personalized support and scaffolding when they struggled with specific concepts. In some cases, I formed small mixed-ability groups and asked students to pursue topics independently as teams, coming to me only when they needed help. Diverse peer interaction fostered both content knowledge and language development, and students often generated new insights through discussion.
For example, when teaching the structure of DNA, instead of delivering an instruction-based lecture, I asked students to construct a paper model in groups. They formed their teams and learned how to build the model by watching instructional videos. Students took significant responsibility for their own learning rather than merely responding to instruction. This was not fully self-directed learning, but it was a deliberate shift away from direct instruction and toward guided autonomy. It marked a significant movement along the continuum. It was a defining moment for me, as I realized how powerful learning became when students felt ownership.
Through my observations, Grade 11 students began developing the habits associated with self-directed learners, gathering information more deeply and sharing their knowledge with pride. When students took ownership of their learning, they experienced genuine satisfaction and purpose, leading to deeper understanding.
The Teacher’s Role
It is important for teachers to recognize that learning exists on a continuum. At one end lies highly structured, teacher-directed instruction; at the other, learners independently set goals, locate resources, and evaluate their growth. Most classrooms function somewhere between these poles. The task for educators is not to leap instantly to complete independence, but to design intentional shifts that gradually redistribute responsibility to students.
Teachers play an imperative role in cultivating a shift toward self-directed learning. They must understand the concept themselves in order to help students acquire the skills required for it. While teachers should cede some control and act as mentors, they also create the safe yet challenging emotional climate that makes autonomy possible. Students must feel comfortable asking questions, sharing thoughts, and making mistakes without fear.
Rather than emphasizing the production of correct answers, the focus shifts to the quality of mental process. Active inquiry, reflection, and risk-taking become central. It is more helpful for learners to accomplish objectives that hold meaning for them than to fulfill every objective that may seem important to the teacher.
Formal education and qualifications remain important. However, learners’ efforts should not be limited solely to obtaining good grades. When students are allowed to pursue personal interests without constant threat of evaluation, even errors sustain inquisitiveness, help them surpass frustration, and ultimately break down hurdles to achievement.
Why Foundational Theories Still Matter
Many of the theories informing self-directed learning—those of Dewey, Knowles, and other constructivist thinkers—are not new. However, their relevance has intensified in the present century. The exponential growth of knowledge, rapid technological change, and evolving workplace demands have amplified the need for learners who can think independently and direct their own growth.
Foundational theories endure because they address enduring human questions: How do people learn best? What fosters autonomy? How does education cultivate character and responsibility? While the context of education continues to evolve, these core principles remain essential. In fact, in a world saturated with information, the ability to manage one’s own learning may be more critical now than when these theories were first articulated.
Conclusion
On the whole, the purpose of education in the present century is to equip students with the power to think effectively and objectively. As students mature, they develop an increasing desire for independence and autonomy. Self-directed learnging may be one way of fulfilling that natural desire by providing students autonomy to manage their learning and achieve authentic, meaningful experiences that endure beyond school. Progressively cultivating the skills of self-directed learning may be one way of fulfilling that natural desire. By steadily increasing student agency through structured choice, reflection, and guided autonomy, we prepare learners for eventual independence rather than expecting it prematurely.
By creating spaces where students learn social competencies, build self-esteem, and learn how to learn independently, teachers help cultivate capacities that extend far beyond examinations. Giving students liberty, supporting their interests, and allowing them to exercise choice can lead to organic learning that evolves naturally and prepares them for a rapidly changing world.
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Suman Choudhary is an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme chemistry teacher at Haileybury Astana with over 12 years of international teaching experience. Suman holds a master’s degree in Biotechnology and a postgraduate certificate in education from Keele University. Suman is passionate about inquiry-based learning and focuses on developing students’ scientific thinking, conceptual understanding, and curiosity in alignment with the IB philosophy.
