Negotiating Structures in Self-Directed Learning: A Descriptive Case Study of Unschooling through Strong Structuration Theory

Introduction: Self-directed learning (SDL) has increasingly been recognized as a crucial life skill for sustaining the lifelong learning process and maintaining competitiveness in the labor market. Nevertheless, most of the research on SDL focused more on adult learning or within formal educational contexts, yet limited research has explored SDL among unschoolers, who inherently rely on self-direction in their learning processes.

Goals and Methods: This study explores how SDL unfolds in an unschooling context through the quadripartite cycle of structuration as a theoretical lens. Drawing from qualitative data through four semi-structured interviews, informal interviews with parents, and the learner’s diary, this case study was analyzed using a constant comparative approach. It explores the SDL experiences of a 16-year-old lifelong unschooler living in the South of France, a region known for its community embracing alternative lifestyles and unschooling practices. The research aims to describe and interpret how the participant negotiates his internal and external structures to enact purposeful learning strategies. 

Results: Three vignettes centered on salient events were found: curiosity, inquisitive and genuine interest as a driver of SDL; activating internal structures; and engaging external structures for reflection and growth. These vignettes illustrate how his purposeful actions are continually shaped and reshaped through the interaction of internal and external structures, revealing an ongoing cycle of action, reflection, and adaptation of strategies that sustain his SDL.

Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of understanding unschoolers’ SDL experiences to inform broader educational practices. By providing empirical evidence of how unschoolers like Léon use structures to guide their learning, this study challenges the misconception that unschooling lacks structure and demonstrates the sophisticated ways in which unschoolers manage their learning.