Parental Involvement Supporters of Self-Directed Learning
At Evolve Online, we believe that empowering students to take charge of their own education is one of the most valuable skills they can develop. Self-directed learning not only helps students become more independent, but it also nurtures their ability to pursue their passions and interests. Independence is a habit that needs to be nurtured as recent studies show that repetition in a stable environment helps habits form faster because the brain starts to "automate" the action (Wood & Rünger, 2022).
For a student to foster this habit one will require a plan, guided by their influential agents, parents and educators. This plan needs to include strategies such as, setting their own goals, selecting resources, and evaluating their learning outcomes, more specifically asking questions such as:
- Did I learn what I was supposed to learn?
- How well can I apply what I learned?
- What am I still struggling with?
When a student can ask themselves these questions, it makes learning feel more meaningful and more personal, because they can see the real benefits beyond just schoolwork.
The following are suggestions on how you as a parent can assist your child with their process of self-directed learning.
1. Pick one thing your child recently learned at school, such as fractions, writing a story, or learning about ecosystems.
2. Ask your child any of the following three simple questions:
- Where do you think you might use this in real life?
- Can you think of a time someone would need to know this?
- How could this help you in something you want to do when you are older?
3. Challenge them to spot it in action during the week — at home, whilst shopping, on TV, or during an activity.
Additionally, when your child has learnt about the topic of writing persuasive paragraphs ask them the question, when would someone need to be persuasive in real life?" It turns into a short, fun conversation that makes learning feel useful and important.
While parents play a crucial role in fostering self-directed learning, we understand that teachers also have a significant impact. Teachers provide the necessary guidance, structure, and resources that help students develop the skills they need to take ownership of their learning. When involved with an online school, the teacher assists the process of self-directed learning through incorporating technology and using digital portfolios. These tools assist the students in becoming self-reliant but also equips the student with practical skills as they move along in their educational journey.
An example of this is when a teacher “sets the stage.” The teacher introduces the science project on ecosystems by explaining the overarching goal: to research, understand, and present a specific ecosystem (e.g., a desert, a rainforest, or the ocean). The teacher provides resources such as articles, videos and images through a learning management system such as, Arc or a communication platform such as, Teams ensuring students have access to foundational materials. The teacher’s role in this self-directed learning process is to provide a clear framework for the project and outlines the learning objectives: understanding ecosystems, researching real-life examples, and presenting findings effectively. Each student organises their findings and the teacher checks in and provides comments and suggestions to provide clarity. Additionally, the teacher might help students troubleshoot technical issues they encounter while using the tools, which is part of the self-directed learning process.
In 2024, an exciting program in South Australia worked with over 4,000 school students to teach them powerful self-regulated learning skills such as, managing emotions and tackling challenges head-on. What made it even more impactful was that parents were right there in the mix, supporting the journey at home. We as a body of teachers and leaders are not able to do this alone but when involving parents in the process, we are able to build strong, self-directed learners who are ready to thrive far beyond the classroom.