Promoting Self-Directed Learning in Schools
Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.
In my previous post ‘Self-Directed Learning: What is that?’ I attempted to define self-directed learning mostly from this paper.
In this post I will unpack the second half related to how we can nurture self-directed learners.
This age old quote summaries the broad approach to building self-directed learners:
Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.
1. Schools
How can Schools develop self-directed learners?
Actually learning to fish yourself i.e. in an enduring way, requires a process that empowers the man with technical fishing skills but also responsibility, agency and smart-decision making
so that he can make it happen successfully and independently.
Schools can promote self-directed learning by embracing practices that encourage student responsibility, agency and choice.
2. Teachers
How can Teachers develop self-directed learners?
The person teaching the man to fish should probably know how to fish themselves AND also know how to teach the man to do it independently i.e. support them in the process of building skill by teaching good technique and coaching as they practice the skill.
Teachers must be able to nurture independent learners by
Having deep knowledge of the content and related skills themselves AND
Facilitating and scaffolding the learning process effectively
Balancing teacher support with student responsibility and autonomy
How much support should Teachers provide?
The approach for teaching a man also depends on the man. A man who isn’t motivated or is a complete novice will need different supports than with a man who already has fishing goals for himself or prior fishing experience.
Once Teachers possess the skills listed above,
they can better support students by understanding how self-directed their students are and supporting them accordingly.
A self-directed learner can progress through the following stages:
Dependent learner → Self-Regulated Learner → Self Directed Learner → Self-Determined Learner
The following table represents how a teacher can support different learners in different ways.
I also adapted this framework in this post on How leaders can support and coach teachers more effectively.
3. Learning Approaches
You can’t effectively teach the man to fish just by simply explaining the process in theory. Or by showing him a video of the process. He will need opportunities to learn on a boat, in a lake, with the right equipment, with many opportunities to try, fail, learn, with lots of guidance during the process from the teacher.
Instructional approaches promoting self-directed learning typically support choice and personalisation, agency, responsibility, collaboration, and peer support. Approaches include:
• Experiential Learning
• Problem-Based Learning
• Project-Based Learning
• Inquiry-Based Learning
• Personalised Learning
• Competency-Based Learning
• Self-Assessment
• Online and Distance Learning
4. Teaching and Learning Process
The teaching and learning process can be viewed as a cyclic approach of Plan → Monitor & Adjust →Reflect & Evaluate.
This is a simple version of problem solving or improvement science approaches. Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) and Design thinking are thinking frames that have gained popularity. In our school we use a Goal-Plan-Act-Reflect cycle with our students.
Here is a visual summary of this process:
These processes can be a game-changer for students, especially when working on projects that are open-ended and complex.
More strategies for scaffolding this process in this post on Metacognitive thinking strategies
5. Strategies for Assessment
How do you know if the man has learned to fish independently? Is it enough to check if he comes back with a fish i.e. the just the result? While useful it is not enough. To understand if he has learned successfully, we need to assess his skills and process too.
Assessing self-directed learning can be complex and, as I explained in my previous post, we need more research to help us figure out the best ways to assess these skills at scale.
Because of the ‘individual’ nature of self-directed learning, it is hard and even counterproductive to standardise assessment.
Because of the ‘purposeful’ nature of self-directed learning, traditional theoretical assessments are not a sufficient means of assessing meaningful, real-world projects.
Because of the ‘developmental’ nature of self-directed learning, it is important to assess not just the results, but also the learning process. And that assessment for the purpose of improving is probably more effective than assessing for evaluation of performance.
Here are a list of assessment tools that may be helpful:
Questionnaires and Surveys
Performance Tasks and Portfolios of Students’ work
Behavioural Checklists
Anecdotal Records
Self and Peer Assessments
A place for the best of both worlds: Inquiry-based and Direct Instruction
Simply giving the man a great lecture on ‘how to fish’ with high quality videos will not work. But also, putting him on a boat with a fishing pole in his hand and saying ‘ok, go fish’ will not either. A combination of high quality instruction on technique along with opportunities to learn by doing is best.
The good news: In the past few years schools in India are increasingly recognising the importance of inquiry-based learning in developing self-directed learning.
The bad news: With this, I have noticed teachers abandoning structure and high quality instruction in the haphazard pursuit of ‘exploration’. With this student learning tends to be shallow and essential developmental skills are missed out.
So a quick reminder before I end this post:
It is not Inquiry-based Learning or Direction Instruction.
It can be Inquiry-based Learning AND Direct Instruction.
This literature review covers this viewpoint nicely
Let's talk evidence – The case for combining inquiry-based and direct instruction
It shall be explored in an upcoming blog post soon!
Related Blog Posts
Read these blog posts of mine for topics that closely related to this one.
Self-Directed Learning: What is that?
Thinking about ‘Thinking about Thinking’: Metacognition in Schools
Nobody wants to be a robot: Motivating Teachers and Students