Self-directed Learning at the Elementary School Level

Self-directed learning is a concept that is still fairly new to the elementary and secondary classrooms. Most of the research online led to articles about adult learning environments in which adults conducted their own learning goals and set their own learning paces based on a given agenda. The use of self-directed learning as a teacher driven method derives from the ideas of adult self-directed learning, but it takes on a different meaning once applied within the classroom.

To compare the two ideas, adult self-directed learning means people pursuing secondary education or an interest beyond their current scope of knowledge decide to explore methods of obtaining the desired knowledge (Abdullah, 2001). These methods may include how-to books, online courses, research, or continuing education that is not set in a formal atmosphere. It is a desire to learn something new or to expand current knowledge that drives them to continue their quest. In a teacher driven scenario, self-directed learning also encourages students to learn something new or to expand their current knowledge base. The difference is that with the teacher drive model, the outcome is more controlled and students are taught essential critical thinking and problem-solving skills in order to obtain answers to questions.

Using self-directed learning in a classroom gives students the ability to become more active within a lesson. Proper questioning and guidance from the teacher will help direct the students to the correct conclusions but restricts the teacher from simply handing out the answers. By letting the students arrive at the conclusion, they now have ownership in the problem and should have awakened a desire, in the form of other questions, to learn more about the topic. Allowing students to discover information on their own lets them feel more passionately about the material and boosts their self confidence. It also helps concrete the information into their knowledge base so that recall for future assignments or tests will flow more easily.

Self-directed learning in the classroom can be done with a variety of lessons. The teacher must plan this type of session carefully in order to direct her students to the outcome she desires. She must also allow for modifications within her lessons as the session progresses (Borich, 2007, p. 340). She must also remember to stay within the limits of the self-directed learning strategy by not offering answers that students should be able to find for themselves. Sometimes it is easier to give the answer or offer a correction in order to move forward within the lesson, but doing that does not guarantee that all students will understand how or why that answer is correct. By carefully guiding the questions or suggesting ideas from past experiences, teachers should be able to help students master a topic through the student’s own discoveries.