There are many myths and misunderstandings surrounding Self-Directed Learning (SDL), and Brocket1 listed 10 of those myths in his chapter on resistance to self-direction in adult learning, in the book he co-edited with Hiemstra1 in 1994 entitled New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education.
The myth that most strikes home for me as an adult learner, and an instructor of adult learners, is myth 6: "Facilitating self-direction is an easy way out for teachers". Many people seem to think that when an instructor employs self-direction as a teaching method, the learners do all the work and the instructor just sits back and watches. Nothing could be further from the truth!
I have taught classes that include very little self-direction, classes that fully employ SDL, and many in between those two extremes. Believe me, there is often a great deal more work involved in preparing and facilitating a class with SDL as the primary instructional method. I'd have to agree with Brocket1 when he states: "self-direction typically involves a deeper commitment from instructors because they need to focus their energy on each learner, as well as on the group as a whole" (p. 8), and it involves "a very active approach to working with learners".
I'm not saying SDL is easy for the students, but neither is it easy for the instructor. Self-direction in learning isn't about making teaching or learning easy, it's about making them more effective - and it works.
1Brocket, R. G. (1994). Resistance to self-drection in adult learning: Myths and misunderstandings in overcoming resistance to self-direction in adult learning. In Heimstra, R., & Brocket, R. G., (Eds.), Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
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