Adopting Self-Directed Learning as an Approach for Enhancing Academic Achievement of University Students

The prevalence of Self-Directed Learning (SDL) has increased significantly, contributing to crucial online learning platforms. SDL is an online learning platform in higher education that has ignited a transformation in the way students and lecturers interact and how they access educational resources. This study explored the use of SDL in higher education contexts to enhance students’ academic achievements within the digital realm. The South African higher education system has a new responsibility and challenge in shaping competent students with higher academic achievements to meet the global competency requirements in the world job market. With the rapid global change caused by COVID-19, it is a known fact that online teaching and learning leads to the non-facilitation of meta-cognitive skills, which required educational stakeholders to devise strategies and approaches to increase learning motivation and students’ engagement in the learning process. Charokar and Dulloo (2022) reports that the traditional instructor-centred teaching-learning approach is predominantly focused on knowledge transfer and acquisition rather than skills in various learning domains. The approach tends to limit the scope to transform the students’ abilities to demonstrate skills and apply it to a real-world context (Kinsella et al., 2023). Shifting from an instructor-centred teaching-learning approach in higher education contexts highlights the motives towards increasing a sense of reliance and active engagement to the students. Among the student-centric approaches in higher education contexts, the preferable approach for both instructors and students in Tekkol and Demirel (2018) view is SDL approach. SDL is an approach that focuses on increasing a sense of student autonomy (Mncube & Maphalala, 2023). SDL is defined by Morris, (2024) and Singaram et al., (2022) as an approach that places emphasis on students’ accountability and responsibility. In the South African higher education context, digital accessibility has become a paramount consideration because of the nature and characteristics of students, which are influenced by their geographical location, infrastructure, social milieu and academic support they receive (Doo et al., 2023) SDL has therefore become a crucial approach for teaching and learning in South African universities because the approach plays an essential role in helping institutions to produce holistic and skilled graduates (Mahlaba, 2020). Recently, scholars such Syafiqurrakhman et al. (2024) have shown that learning outside the formal learning environment such as schools and universities can result in the development of feelings of loneliness and isolation, which may negatively affect students’ academic achievement. Lack of face-to-face interaction between the teacher and students was also mentioned as a source of poor academic motivation and performance (Bonk & Lee, 2017; Khiat, 2017). In addition, Tekkol and Demirel (2018) assert that online learning increases the pressure and workload on students’ working memory as they are exposed to multiple media at the same time. The study employed an interpretive qualitative case study approach to explore the influence of SDL on students’ learning experiences and their academic achievements. Focus group discussion and reflective essay writing were used to generate data that were thematically analysed. The study found that SDL significantly enhances students’ academic achievements by fostering active engagement, learning autonomy and self-regulation in contemporary higher education contexts. The study also emphasises the contribution of SDL to students’ academic achievement, ultimately leading to improved institutional status. The study’s findings affirm that SDL is crucial as it grants all students the ability to set their own goals, monitor their progress and reflect on their academic achievements regardless of their historical backgrounds. Participants noted that SDL improves their self-efficacy, which significantly affects their abilities and resilience in overcoming their academic challenges. This study also revealed that SDL improves self-efficacy and significantly impacts students’ engagement and their intrinsic motivations. References Bonk, C. J., & Lee, M. M. (2017). Motivations, achievements, and challenges of self-directed informal learners in open educational environments and MOOCs. Journal of Learning for Development, 4(1), 36–57. https://doi.org/10.56059/jl4d.v4i1.195 Charokar, K., & Dulloo, P. (2022). Self-directed learning theory to practice: A footstep towards the path of being a life-long learner. 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