What science says about self-managed learning

Self-managed learning (SML) gives young people increasing responsibility for what, how and why they learn – with adults acting as coaches rather than controllers. Far from being experimental, SML is grounded in decades of research on motivation, self-regulation and learner development.

1. Why self-managed learning works

Human motivation: autonomy, competence, relatedness

Self-determination theory shows that people learn best when they experience:

  • Autonomy – choice and ownership

  • Competence – feeling capable

  • Relatedness – supportive relationships

Meeting these needs leads to stronger engagement, deeper learning and better wellbeing.

Intro to SDT: selfdeterminationtheory.org/the-theory 

Core learning skills: self-regulation, metacognition and self-efficacy

SML works because it develops the internal skills students need to guide themselves.

  • Self-regulation – planning, monitoring and evaluating

  • Metacognition – understanding how they learn

  • Self-efficacy – belief in their ability to succeed

Overview of self-efficacy (Bandura): simplypsychology.org/self-efficacy.html 

Long-term research also shows that strong self-control in childhood predicts better health, work and wellbeing in adulthood: pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1010076108

2. What happens when adults become coaches?

Autonomy-supportive teaching – offering meaningful choices, explaining why things matter, encouraging questions – consistently leads to:

  • Higher motivation

  • Better learning

  • Improved relationships and behaviour

Overview: selfdeterminationtheory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2021_ReeveCheon_AutonomySupportive.pdf 

At OurPlace, this approach is at the heart of the learning culture.

3. Does giving young people more freedom work?

A major study found that more time in less-structured activities predicts stronger self-directed executive functioning, while heavily structured time predicts weaker self-direction.

Study: frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00593/full 

This supports OurPlace’s focus on time, space and support for authentic self-management.

4. Examples from democratic and self-directed education

Research and case studies from self-directed schools and learning centres consistently show:

  • Strong ownership and engagement

  • High levels of wellbeing

  • Success for learners who struggled in conventional settings

Talks and resources:

5. The Learning Skills Curriculum

Dr James Mannion’s eight-year evaluation of a self-managed learning curriculum provides some of the strongest evidence to date.

Findings:

  • Higher academic attainment

  • A major closing of the disadvantage gap

  • Long-lasting effects at GCSE

  • Better behaviour, relationships and confidence

Research links:

6. Putting it all together at OurPlace

Self-managed learning at Our Place is grounded in what science already shows:

  • Children thrive when they are trusted with real responsibility

  • Coaching beats control

  • Less-structured time builds stronger self-management

  • Teaching metacognition and self-regulation improves outcomes

  • A well-designed SML curriculum raises attainment and equity

“Self-managed learning is not a leap of faith – it’s what happens when we take the science of learning seriously”



Page curated by Dr James Mannion, PhD (rethinking-ed.org), on behalf of OurPlace Learning Community.