Self-directed learning is a core theoretical construct of adult learning. Importantly, self-directed learning represents a fundamental meta-competence for living and working in our increasingly complex and unpredictable world. Nonetheless, the construct of self-directed learning has become obfuscated. In order to redress this concern, this…

Considering the significance of lifelong learning in advancing active aging in aging societies, the ability to engage in self-directed learning plays a crucial role for adults. There are many self-directed learning (SDL) tools available that measure the SDL abilities of nursing students and healthcare professionals. However, fewer SDL tools…

The aim of this paper is to introduce a correction into the notion of self-directed adult learning by way of conjoining it with philosophically elaborated notions of autonomy, self-reflectiveness, and maturity. The basic premise of this intervention is that in andragogical theorizing, learners' self-directedness ought not to be thought as obvious…

Fostering adult learners' competence to adapt appropriately to our ever-changing world is a primary concern of adult education. The purpose of the present article is novel and examines whether the consideration of "modes of learning" (instruction, performance, and inquiry) could assist in the design of adult education that facilitates…

The study of workplace learning and informal learning are not new to adult education and pedagogy. However, the use of mobile devices as learning tools for informal learning in the workplace is an understudied area. Using theories on informal learning and constructivism as a framework, this paper explores informal learning of registered nurses…

Everyone learns in a different way--for some, learning comes naturally, but for others it can be a real struggle. Many negative experiences of education are a result of individuals not knowing how they learn most effectively, or believing that they do not have the capacity to learn well. Addressing the issues of how individuals learn can help…

Educating adults to tap into the wisdom of their inner life can happen in many contexts: (1) higher education classrooms; (2) workshop and retreat settings; and (3) psychotherapy settings. Adults can also facilitate the development of their inner life through various self-directed learning efforts, by learning from life experience, and through…

Drama in Education (DIE), as an artistic and educational experience, is sufficiently evidenced in the literature as a dialogical, liberating practice of education. This article discusses a practitioner research project in a second chance adult education school in Greece, where the use of a DIE teaching and learning approach was explored in an…

Summarizes the major findings of Allen Tough's adult education monographs and outlines some of the criticisms of his works. Discusses Tough's theories concerning self-teaching, learning projects and major learning efforts, and the planners of learning. (CT)

Results of a study that examined the degree to which corrections education students (n=80) exercise control over the learning process indicate that the most successful students scored highest in self-regulated learning. (JOW)

This model of self-directed learning integrates three dimensions: self-management (contextual control), self-monitoring (cognitive responsibility), and motivation. (SK)

Only eight recent studies clearly fit the parameters of qualitative research on self-directed learning. Four of the studies appear to fit the more traditional notion of what the qualitative paradigm is all about, in that they are exploratory in nature. The remaining four studies focus more on the expansion of earlier ideas that had been generated…

As new communications media have developed, discussion of the definition of "distance education" (DE) has increased. The following defining features of DE have been proposed: geographically remote, two-way communication; use of one or more technical media; mass delivery; control of educational institution; and predominance of independent…

Introducing exemplary theory and research findings bearing upon adult experiential learning, this article describes three emerging learning models that are "active" oriented. Implications for the future in terms of individual learning and postsecondary institutions are highlighted. (Author/DS)

This document contains four papers from a symposium on self-directed workplace learning. "Self-Directed Work Teams: Implementation and Performance" (Marcel van der Klink, Hilde ter Horst) discusses the results of a study examining the implementation and effects of self-directed work teams in a land register office and the role of the…