Self-directed learning 91 92 94 96

Abstract

Although culture and social context form the background for learning, and strongly influence the processes involved, in a very important sense all learning remains individual. For, despite talk about the 'learning society' and the 'learning organization', logically (and psychologically) only individuals can learn. Learning is generally taken to entail some kind of internalizing of that which is 'learnt', and this in turn can only be directly experienced by individuals. In fact, the whole idea of lifelong learning and the learning society entails a notion of the individual selfdirected learner: 'The notion is an essential component of lifelong learning: if a person is to succeed as a lifelong learner then it is incumbent on that person to become a self-directed learner and to know not only how to learn but how to put it into practice as well' (Griffin and Brownhill, 2001:63).