Constructivism and the Study of Self-direction in Adult Learning

Abstract

Self-direction in learning has become a major theme in educational research, especially in the field of adult education. However, it is argued that such research has been dominated by the positivist/empiricist paradigm, and has tended to ‘bog-down’, with comparatively few advances in recent years. These relatively unspectacular research results may be explained in part by a dissonance between the assumptions underlying the research approach and the topic being researched. As an alternative, a constructivist approach is advocated. The paper examines the tenets underlying constructivism, and three aspects in particular: a constructivist view of people; a constructivist epistemology; and constructivism in teaching and learning. It is concluded that constructivism is particularly congruent with the notion of self-direction in emphasising active enquiry, independence in the learning task, and individuality in constructing meaning. Accordingly, it may represent a valuable theoretical framework for the further study of self-direction in learning.