Navigating self-directed learning
Interaction between internal and external structures in different self-directed learning contexts
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12427768 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Chai Ping Woon (Universiti Malaya Department of Curriculum and Instructional Technology, Faculty of Education, , Kuala Lumpur, corresponding author), Meng Yew Tee (0000-0003-1695-9390, Universiti Malaya Department of Curriculum and Instructional Technology, Faculty of Education, , Kuala Lumpur) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 378-395 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-13 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | On the Horizon The International Journal of Learning Futures (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1074-8121 • E-ISSN: 2054-1708 |
| Publisher | Emerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1108/oth-12-2024-0089 |
| OpenAlex | W4411294342 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 21 |
Purpose This study aims to examine how learners manage their self-directed learning (SDL) in different SDL contexts through the lens of structuration theorizing. Design/methodology/approach In this comparative case study, data were collected primarily from in-depth semi-structured interviews with three self-directed learners aged between 15 and 16 years old. Additional data, including interviews with parents and facilitators, as well as documents related to the learners’ learning journey, were collected to allow for greater details and triangulation. These were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Findings The findings suggest that external structures may be essential when learners are in the early stages of their SDL journey. In one of the SDL contexts, these external structures provide the necessary guidance and resources to support SDL. However, internal structures become increasingly dominant for more accomplished self-directed learners. This study describes how learners’ internal structures take on more control in their SDL process, as they engage and negotiate with the external structures in a continuous cycle of action, reflection and adaptation. Research limitations/implications The limitation of this study is that the relevant small sample size may not fully represent the broader and more diverse unschooling and SDL communities. Practical implications The finding of this study revealed more nuances about the interaction between internal and external structures, and how this interaction goes on to shape SDL processes and strategies. These nuances help us to see the multifaceted nature of SDL, which in turn encourages us to design environments that allow learners to create the structures required to enhance their SDL skills. Originality/value This study provides insights into how learners in different SDL contexts negotiate between their internal and external structures in their SDL journey. It expands the understanding of SDL outside conventional education settings. It informs the development of a flexible, learner-centered approach that intentionally addresses these interactions within the SDL contexts
Autodidacticism · Mathematics education · Computer Science · Education and Critical Thinking Development · Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods · Online and Blended Learning · Psychology
Structuration Theory
Self-Directed Learning
Do Learners Really Know Best? Urban Legends in Education
Motivational and self-regulated learning components of classroom academic performance.
How kids manage self-directed programming projects
Structure, Agency and the Internal Conversation
Unschooling and the Self
Verbalized Inner Speech and the Expressiveness of Self-Consciousness
The composition of precarity
Sociology's unspoken weakness
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |