We all desire our learners to develop into independent students who can think for themselves but how exactly can schools work towards this ambitious goal?
Main, P (2022, March 10). Independent Learning: A teacher's guide. Retrieved from https://www.structural-learning.com/post/independent-learning-a-teachers-guide
Independent learning is a way or process of learning in which learners have control and ownership of their learning. They regulate, direct, and evaluate their learning and learn due to their actions. The independent learner can make informed choices, set goals, and make decisions about how to fulfil his learning needs. Also, the independent learner takes responsibility for building and performing their learning, monitoring their progress toward accomplishing their learning goals and self-assess the outcomes of the learning process.
At Structural Learning, we have a particular interest in equipping disadvantaged students with the skills and techniques to move their learning forward. When children turn into adults, they will have to manage their studies independently. The demands of exams sometimes mean that schools focus their preparation on exam technique instead of the affective skills essential to becoming a lifelong learner.
Owning the right resources is one thing but having educational experiences that nurture these abilities is another paradigm altogether. In this article, we will argue that schools don't have to choose between a progressive or traditional approach to learning. Metacognitive practice including the skills of reflection and exam technique can be embedded into a rich educational experience. Society often sees education in terms of exam success but activities such as 'learning to learn' should be very much built into the day to day school life of a child. We are not talking about separate skills courses but rather incremental steps that are embedded into subjects that lead the student to take more ownership of their education.
Below are the tips for encouraging students to become independent learners:
Independent learning is a vital educational approach that offers numerous benefits for students, particularly in compulsory education. This method not only enhances personal development and academic performance but also proves to be a cost-effective strategy to boost educational progress. Below, we outline the major benefits of fostering independent learning among students, backed by research and practical evidence:
1. Increased Confidence and Motivation:
Students who engage in independent learning often develop greater self-confidence. This stems from their achievements and the autonomy they experience in managing their learning processes. As they navigate through learning challenges independently, their intrinsic motivation to learn and succeed increases.
2. Enhanced Academic Performance:
Research consistently shows that students who learn how to learn independently often achieve higher academic outcomes. This is due to their ability to understand and apply learning strategies that work best for them, leading to better comprehension and retention of information.
3. Social Inclusion and Peer Relationships:
Independent learning helps counteract alienation among peers by fostering a sense of community. When students are encouraged to work independently yet share their learning experiences with peers, it promotes a supportive learning environment that enhances social inclusion.
4. Opportunities for Differentiated Learning:
Independent learning facilitates the completion of differentiated tasks tailored to the learning needs and paces of individual students. This personalized approach allows students to explore subjects at their own speed, increasing educational effectiveness.
5. Intellectual Creativity:
When students are given the freedom to explore topics independently, they have more opportunities to engage in intellectually creative processes. They can connect diverse ideas, think critically, and innovate, which are essential skills in today’s global society.
It can be challenging for the teachers to support the development of independent learners during physical activity in a classroom. Professor John Hattie states that educators only hear and see 20% of what is the progress of learning in any given lesson, making it hard for educators to understand exactly what must be changed and how to better support their pupils. Through video a lesson and then reflecting on it, teachers may effectively identify the involvement level of compulsory school age students in academic studies, it may allow teachers to analyse - lectures and recognize areas that need improvement. Education providers may use Video reflections to improve their teaching skills, which then help them to develop independent learners and eventually enhance students' learning outcomes.
While encouraging a learner to learn with more autonomy in learning, it can be a little tricky to maintain a balance, when teachers should offer help and when they must leave the student to try and solve the problem by themselves. For example, there is no problem in helping a doctoral student if he has been stuck on a problem for some time. Teachers' reasoning and explanation in a particular task, will guide the doctoral student's action of learning and how to find the right answer next time.
During the pandemic, one concern for teachers is to make sure that students complete their tasks in 'self-study' time, without teachers' supervision. Developing a sense of independence not only position students to achieve success in a traditional classroom setting but also does while learning online. Students, who are independent learners have been more successful in the shift to distance learning. In short, independent learning is a crucial skill to develop because it promotes intellectual curiosity and creativity.
The students should be active rather than passive students. Independent learners do not wait to be told what they must do, they take ownership of their learning. This naturally develops flexibility for learners with different cognitive levels and learning styles. Also, it enables students to focus on the all-inclusive process of learning, and not just concentrate on learning a single skill at a time. By supporting students to learn independently, teachers are preparing them for future success as life-long learners.
Fostering autonomy in children with specific learning needs such as dyslexia and dyspraxia is a crucial endeavor. This task, while challenging, can be approached through a series of strategies, each designed to empower students and enhance their independent learning skills.
For instance, consider a secondary school student with dyspraxia, a condition that affects physical coordination. This student might struggle with handwriting, a skill that is often crucial for traditional classroom activities. By providing this student with access to a laptop or tablet, the teacher can help to level the playing field, allowing the student to participate fully in classroom activities.
As education philosopher John Dewey once said, "If we teach today's students as we taught yesterday's, we rob them of tomorrow." This quote underscores the importance of adapting our teaching methods to meet the needs of all students, including those with specific learning needs1.
Encouraging autonomy in children with specific learning needs is not a straightforward task. It requires a thoughtful, individualized approach that acknowledges the unique abilities and challenges of each student.
By implementing these strategies, teachers can help to foster a sense of independence and confidence in their students, preparing them for success both inside and outside the classroom.
Key Insights:
Here are five key studies that explore the concept of independent learning and how it can be promoted in classrooms:
These studies highlight the significance of independent learning in fostering effective learning, academic development, and lifelong learning skills through various educational strategies and structural supports.
Independent learning is a way or process of learning in which learners have control and ownership of their learning. They regulate, direct, and evaluate their learning and learn due to their actions. The independent learner can make informed choices, set goals, and make decisions about how to fulfil his learning needs. Also, the independent learner takes responsibility for building and performing their learning, monitoring their progress toward accomplishing their learning goals and self-assess the outcomes of the learning process.
At Structural Learning, we have a particular interest in equipping disadvantaged students with the skills and techniques to move their learning forward. When children turn into adults, they will have to manage their studies independently. The demands of exams sometimes mean that schools focus their preparation on exam technique instead of the affective skills essential to becoming a lifelong learner.
Owning the right resources is one thing but having educational experiences that nurture these abilities is another paradigm altogether. In this article, we will argue that schools don't have to choose between a progressive or traditional approach to learning. Metacognitive practice including the skills of reflection and exam technique can be embedded into a rich educational experience. Society often sees education in terms of exam success but activities such as 'learning to learn' should be very much built into the day to day school life of a child. We are not talking about separate skills courses but rather incremental steps that are embedded into subjects that lead the student to take more ownership of their education.
Below are the tips for encouraging students to become independent learners:
Independent learning is a vital educational approach that offers numerous benefits for students, particularly in compulsory education. This method not only enhances personal development and academic performance but also proves to be a cost-effective strategy to boost educational progress. Below, we outline the major benefits of fostering independent learning among students, backed by research and practical evidence:
1. Increased Confidence and Motivation:
Students who engage in independent learning often develop greater self-confidence. This stems from their achievements and the autonomy they experience in managing their learning processes. As they navigate through learning challenges independently, their intrinsic motivation to learn and succeed increases.
2. Enhanced Academic Performance:
Research consistently shows that students who learn how to learn independently often achieve higher academic outcomes. This is due to their ability to understand and apply learning strategies that work best for them, leading to better comprehension and retention of information.
3. Social Inclusion and Peer Relationships:
Independent learning helps counteract alienation among peers by fostering a sense of community. When students are encouraged to work independently yet share their learning experiences with peers, it promotes a supportive learning environment that enhances social inclusion.
4. Opportunities for Differentiated Learning:
Independent learning facilitates the completion of differentiated tasks tailored to the learning needs and paces of individual students. This personalized approach allows students to explore subjects at their own speed, increasing educational effectiveness.
5. Intellectual Creativity:
When students are given the freedom to explore topics independently, they have more opportunities to engage in intellectually creative processes. They can connect diverse ideas, think critically, and innovate, which are essential skills in today’s global society.
It can be challenging for the teachers to support the development of independent learners during physical activity in a classroom. Professor John Hattie states that educators only hear and see 20% of what is the progress of learning in any given lesson, making it hard for educators to understand exactly what must be changed and how to better support their pupils. Through video a lesson and then reflecting on it, teachers may effectively identify the involvement level of compulsory school age students in academic studies, it may allow teachers to analyse - lectures and recognize areas that need improvement. Education providers may use Video reflections to improve their teaching skills, which then help them to develop independent learners and eventually enhance students' learning outcomes.
While encouraging a learner to learn with more autonomy in learning, it can be a little tricky to maintain a balance, when teachers should offer help and when they must leave the student to try and solve the problem by themselves. For example, there is no problem in helping a doctoral student if he has been stuck on a problem for some time. Teachers' reasoning and explanation in a particular task, will guide the doctoral student's action of learning and how to find the right answer next time.
During the pandemic, one concern for teachers is to make sure that students complete their tasks in 'self-study' time, without teachers' supervision. Developing a sense of independence not only position students to achieve success in a traditional classroom setting but also does while learning online. Students, who are independent learners have been more successful in the shift to distance learning. In short, independent learning is a crucial skill to develop because it promotes intellectual curiosity and creativity.
The students should be active rather than passive students. Independent learners do not wait to be told what they must do, they take ownership of their learning. This naturally develops flexibility for learners with different cognitive levels and learning styles. Also, it enables students to focus on the all-inclusive process of learning, and not just concentrate on learning a single skill at a time. By supporting students to learn independently, teachers are preparing them for future success as life-long learners.
Fostering autonomy in children with specific learning needs such as dyslexia and dyspraxia is a crucial endeavor. This task, while challenging, can be approached through a series of strategies, each designed to empower students and enhance their independent learning skills.
For instance, consider a secondary school student with dyspraxia, a condition that affects physical coordination. This student might struggle with handwriting, a skill that is often crucial for traditional classroom activities. By providing this student with access to a laptop or tablet, the teacher can help to level the playing field, allowing the student to participate fully in classroom activities.
As education philosopher John Dewey once said, "If we teach today's students as we taught yesterday's, we rob them of tomorrow." This quote underscores the importance of adapting our teaching methods to meet the needs of all students, including those with specific learning needs1.
Encouraging autonomy in children with specific learning needs is not a straightforward task. It requires a thoughtful, individualized approach that acknowledges the unique abilities and challenges of each student.
By implementing these strategies, teachers can help to foster a sense of independence and confidence in their students, preparing them for success both inside and outside the classroom.
Key Insights:
Here are five key studies that explore the concept of independent learning and how it can be promoted in classrooms:
These studies highlight the significance of independent learning in fostering effective learning, academic development, and lifelong learning skills through various educational strategies and structural supports.
