대학생들의 삶 속에서 드러나는 학습주도의 양상 탐색

A Qualitative Study on Self-directed Learning of Seven University Students

지식기반사회, 평생학습사회의 도래로 자기주도학습의 중요성이 어느 때보다 강조되고 있다. 이 연구는 7인의 대학생의 삶 속에서 드러나는 학습주도 과정을 추적하여 그 구체적 양태와 특징, 그리고 관련요소 등을 구명함으로써 학습주도 촉진 방안을 제시하고자 하였다. 연구 결과, 대학교육에 대한 막연한 기대와 취업 달성이라는 두 가지 배경적 요소가 동기로 작용하는 가운데 연구 참여자들은 자유로운 탐구와 협력을 지향하는‘개방적 주도’와 효율성과 경쟁을 중시하는‘적응적 주도’, 그리고 의미맥락에 주목하는‘비판적 점검’을 나름대로 조절하며 학습을 주도하고 있었으며, 학년 상승과 함께‘개방적 주도’나‘비판적 점검’대신 오로지‘적응적 주도’로의 선택적 집중을 택하는 경향을 보임을 발견할 수 있었다. 연구자는 이러한 대학생의 학습주도 양태에 학습자 개인적 요인보다는 대학과 취업난이라는 상황적 요인의 영향이 강하게 작용하고 있음을 확인할 수 있었으며, 이 점에서 학습을 중심에 두는 대학의 혁신적인 변화가 시급함을 지적하였다.

In a lifelong learning society and a knowledge-based society, it stands to reason that self-directed learning should be emphasized as one of the new alternative learning methods and educational principles. Since self-directed learning gives power to control learning to learners instead of teachers, it also could be regarded as one of the most important strategies aimed at gaining superiority whilst in a competition of knowledge. Based on this point, self-directed learning is also important to university students. The purpose of this study was to investigate how university students direct and manage their learning and to propose how to activate or facilitate their self-directed learning or self-directedness. This study employed a general qualitative design incorporating in-depth, semi-structured interviews for data collection. A sample of seven purposefully selected university students reflected diversity in grade, academic speciality, gender, and learning experiences. Data analysis revealed the following: The university students were practicing their self-directed learning in the forms of ‘liberal directedness’, ‘adaptive directedness’, and ‘critical monitoring’. In relation to this, they choose one or two forms of their personal judgement for self-directed learning. Low grade students exhibited the tendency to prefer the ‘liberal directedness’ compared to other systems, but upper grade students practiced only ‘adaptive directedness’. An atmosphere of freedom, educational customs in the university and the acute difficulty of getting a job have considerable influence upon the self-directed learning of university students. The innovative change of university educational customs was suggested as a plan for facilitation of self-directed learning for university students.