Features of the Self-Directed Education Environment

Given the evidence pointing to the psychological and developmental benefits of educational approaches that allow for student autonomy, consent, and self-direction, schooling approaches identified as self-directed education (SDE) are poised to contribute meaningfully to contemporary discourse relative to school reform. Yet parents and teachers know little about how schooling approaches that center student autonomy are able to foster learning, student wellness, and career and college readiness. Thus, the authors conducted a document analysis of SDE practitioner-expert publications that contained rich, contextual narratives of student experiences, asking, “How do SDE practitioner-experts describe student learning, well-being, and future readiness?” Findings indicated that students had the flexibility to pursue a wide range of unique pathways for both academic and nonacademic learning, that the settings provided positive support for physical and mental wellness, and that students were adequately prepared for postsecondary success.