What happens when young people are trusted to take charge of their own learning?
Self-directed education (SDE) is an approach that challenges the traditional schooling model by placing responsibility, choice, and autonomy in the hands of learners themselves. As interest in SDE grows, so too does the need to understand its impact, limitations, and potential.
In this episode of the Emerald Podcast Series, host Rebecca Torr speaks with two leading educators and researchers who have both contributed to a new special issue of On the Horizon on this very topic:
- Dr Christel Hartkamp-Bakker, researcher at the Open University and co-founder of several Sudbury model schools in the Netherlands, whose work examines the long-term outcomes of self-directed learning.
- Dr Melissa Riley Bradford, a senior professional lecturer at DePaul University in Chicago and board president at Tallgrass Sudbury School, whose research focuses on democratic education and value-creating leadership.
They explore the history and relevance of self-directed education today, the systemic issues in mainstream schooling that have prompted families to look elsewhere, and the diverse ways in which SDE is being adopted across communities. The conversation also highlights key contributions from their special issue, including research on Black homeschooling, the deschooling journeys of former teachers, and the vulnerabilities inherent in learner-led models.
For more information on self-directed education research, see On the Horizon’s Special Issue:‘Reimagined ways of knowing, being and doing: understanding the value of a self-directed educational context’.