{"id":22292,"date":"2024-06-04T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-04T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nwea.org\/blog\/?p=22292"},"modified":"2026-02-05T09:10:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T17:10:14","slug":"how-to-create-opportunities-for-self-directed-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nwea.org\/blog\/2024\/how-to-create-opportunities-for-self-directed-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"How to create opportunities for self-directed learning"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Over the years, I\u2019ve experienced some amazing displays of learning. I\u2019ve taught preschool, led elementary after-school programs, run summer programming for middle-schoolers, tutored and coached high-schoolers, been a college faculty member, and volunteered in adult education. Across these settings, I\u2019ve encountered people who advanced their own learning in unique ways. And I\u2019ve always found it interesting to ask, how do they do it? What motivates their self-directed learning?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re also curious about what drives students as they learn, you could dive into academic research on the psychology of motivation and learning. It\u2019s fascinating. But if you want to skip ahead and observe what some of this research looks like in real life, there\u2019s no better place than a certain sixth-grade math classroom in Schiller Park, Illinois. This classroom features a self-directed learning model in which students work autonomously, consult and collaborate with each other, and draw support from their teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, self-directed learning works so well in this particular school that NWEA made Schiller Park the centerpiece of its High Growth for All<\/a> research project. Based on what\u2019s working in successful schools, this project aims to give educators tools and insights to tackle inequities in the classroom and enter a new era where all students attain the growth they deserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High Growth for All is based in rigorous research, but it\u2019s not just a theoretical framework. It\u2019s the foundation for a suite of best practices called the Transformative Ten<\/a>. In this article, I\u2019ll explore one of these transformative strategies that has worked in Schiller Park and many other places: creating opportunities for self-directed learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The building blocks of self-directed learning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many teachers have seen with their own eyes that students who engage in self-directed learning can make great progress. But how does it work? To understand this, let\u2019s unpack the psychological model behind this practice: self-determination theory<\/a>, as laid out in the 1970s by Deci and Ryan and elaborated on by many other researchers since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deci and Ryan built their theory on one big insight: while external factors can certainly help motivate people\u2014who doesn\u2019t like earning a paycheck or getting good grades?\u2014the most meaningful and lasting sources of motivation typically come from within. And when we explore what fuels and sustains this sense of motivation, we find three main components: autonomy, relatedness, and competence. These are the building blocks of self-directed learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s consider each of these components and explore how you can begin putting them to good use in your classroom. I\u2019ll also note some potential barriers and how you can surmount them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The power of autonomy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We don\u2019t need research to tell us what teachers find every day: intrinsic motivation is the key to autonomy. Of course, there are always external expectations in place, and students will often gain satisfaction from meeting or even exceeding these expectations. But as you tap into students\u2019 own inner drives, their capacity for self-directed learning increases dramatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s because students love to direct their own development through their interests and needs, and this is especially true as they get older. If we want them to really embrace the learning process and their own pursuit of it, setting them up to work autonomously, based on their own interests, is the way to make this happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some practical ways to promote autonomy in the classroom:<\/p>\n\n\n\n