Self-Directed Learning: The Theory Of Adult Learning By Stephen Brookfield

Self-directed, or self-planning is the principle means of adult learning because of a variety of reasons (Tough, 1971). The learner knows what the best course of action is, or they would feel losing time by consulting someone else, or they may be more highly skilled than others. The learner decides everything from specific activities of learning to location, time, as well as make the payment. Tough found that most learning projects include four or five other human resources; most of this insight is from friends, neighbors, or acquaintances. The most important resources in this process are television, books, pamphlets, and newspapers. Tough also continues his defining of self-directed learning by discussing how to promote SLD and all of its

Brookfield discusses the popularity of the concept of self-directed learning, and how Tough’s learning projects (1971), Gugliemino’s Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (as cited in Brookfield, 1985), and Knowles’ depiction of andragogy (1985). Particularly, he states that self-directed learning has precisely put the adult learners on the center stage and this research should be put the adult learner on the center stage and this research should be given credit for solidifying learning outside of formal education (Brookfield, 1985). The rapid acceptance of the term in the adult education field is another concern of Brookfield; probably, this promotion of the term reflects our need for acceptance in the critical world of the social sciences. Also, he reports self-directed learning is actually an inappropriate name; there is always the influence of other people through the resources of the self-directed

Since there is an underlying assumption in that everyone desires to learn, knows how to read, and wants to engage in personal learning projects. In addition, the perceptive of Knowles do not meet the criteria of culturally based education, and, in fact, reflect Western mindset (Pratt, 1993). What is more, Brookfield takes much consideration into question the effectiveness of the varieties of the reported self-directed learning. Knowles (1985) popularized these ideas by writing about autonomous learners and describing a new way to educate adults. Finally, Candy (1991) claims we have had the foundation of understanding the ability of SDL for a new society. The meaning of adult education has been expanded by careful research on the global and personal learning of inquiring