Nadia Abu Zahra 2026/06/29 Concepts 22 visits
Contemporary educational trends aim to change the role of the learner from a passive recipient to an active and participatory learner in the educational process. Self-directed learning is one of the learning methods that support active learning and enables the learner to manage, organize, and direct their learning according to their needs, abilities, and interests independently and consciously, starting from setting objectives, selecting content, and educational resources and methods until the end of the evaluation process. Modern technologies have contributed to expanding opportunities for self-directed learning, making information easily accessible, which helps learners learn according to their circumstances at any time and place. Thus, self-directed learning is a fundamental pillar for achieving sustainable education according to UNESCO’s international standards, which aligns with the objectives of the Human Capacity Development Program in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 aimed at preparing globally competitive citizens.
Here is a detailed reading on self-directed learning that includes its concept, principles, some of its skills, strategies, and the vital role of the teacher as a facilitator of the educational process.
Self-directed learning is a method where the learner seeks to achieve their objectives by interacting with the educational material and proceeding according to their capabilities, readiness, and personal potential, with minimal guidance from the teacher (Al-Luqani and Al-Jamal, 2013). The interest in self-directed learning can be attributed to two factors:
To achieve self-directed learning, learners must acquire skills that help them apply self-directed learning correctly to meet their objectives. Al-Jurf (2016) pointed out these skills, which include: reading and comprehension skills, writing, note-taking, documenting information, developing vocabulary, cognitive and thinking skills, and information searching skills.
There are several strategies that assist learners in acquiring these skills, as mentioned by Al-Ghamdi (1442 AH):
These strategies can be applied in various ways, as standardized testing can be used at the end of the unit as an application of the strategy of enhancing learning through tests. Moreover, the self-explanation strategy can be applied in detail by solving formative assessment questions within lessons such as: What did you read? Interpretation of charts, or using graphic organizers and mind maps. On the other hand, distributed practice relies on dividing content into units rather than presenting it all at once, dividing the lesson into ideas where each idea is studied in a session, and concerning interleaved practice, it appears in the variety of subject lessons throughout the school day instead of studying just one subject all day.
This model allows learners to teach themselves through an organized educational program where the content is divided into sequential steps, helping them gradually transition from the unknown to the known at their own pace. Programmed learning is divided into two types:
From the above, it is clear that the two types agree in enhancing correct answers and differ in the nature of the response; linear programs are characterized by ease of construction, organization, and coverage of curriculum content.
Programmed education is characterized by defining objectives and thus the accuracy of the educational situation, enhancing learners, stimulating motivation, and fostering self-reliance. However, it is critiqued for potentially being monotonous, relying on memorization, as well as being costly to prepare as it requires specific programs and programmers, and special equipment for programmed education. Regarding the affective and social aspects, programmed education is often criticized for completely neglecting to meet and develop these needs for the student and focuses solely on the cognitive and skill aspects.
It is an integrated educational system built upon organized methodological foundations aiming to achieve effective learning through a set of interrelated educational materials with predetermined objectives, allowing learners to interact with them autonomously at their own pace, with the guidance of the teacher or supplemented by an accompanying guide, reaching an appropriate level of competence.
To incorporate this strategy into education, designing a package is required, which is very suitable for all levels and types of learners and can be used in teaching one of the curriculum units, without the necessity of having a computer...