L’autodirezione nell’apprendimento: tra filosofia di vita e critica dell’educazione Self-direction in learning: between philosophy of life and criticism of education

By drawing on main scholarly literature on self-direction in learning, this article aims to identify the key features and functions of this kind of learning within the context of continuous education. After reflecting upon advantages and disadvantages of self-direction and functions the educator/instructor may play as a facilitator to promoting it, the authors sum up through a critical approach the main issues dealing with self-direction and its result: that is to say, ‘self-directed learning’. Self-direction in learning is a philosophy of life and a philosophy of education capable of instilling in the human being a permanent attitude to learning. The article concludes with the statement that self- direction in learning is just a starting point for what should be better called, instead of self-directed learning, self- education.