Becoming a Graduate Learner: Lived Experiences of Master of Arts in Education Students in Developing Self-Directed Learning Skills

Abstract

Self-directed learning has become increasingly important in graduate education as adult learners are expected to assume greater responsibility for identifying learning needs, locating credible information, managing academic requirements, evaluating their progress, and applying knowledge independently. This qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of Master of Arts in Education students in developing self-directed learning skills during graduate study. Specifically, it examines how students experience the transition from teacher-directed to increasingly autonomous learning, the strategies they develop in managing academic demands, the challenges that shape their independence, the role of faculty and peers in supporting self-direction, and the meanings students attach to becoming responsible for their own learning. Participants are purposively selected MAEd students who have completed sufficient graduate coursework to reflect meaningfully on their learning development. Data are generated through semi-structured interviews and analyzed phenomenologically through significant statements, meaning units, thematic clustering, textural and structural descriptions, and synthesis of the essence of the phenomenon. The analytical framework identifies six interconnected dimensions: moving beyond dependence on instructors, learning to search and evaluate knowledge independently, managing time and academic responsibilities, learning through difficulty and uncertainty, drawing support from others without surrendering autonomy, and developing confidence as reflective and continuing learners. The study conceptualizes self-directed learning not as learning in isolation but as a gradual process of assuming greater agency while remaining socially and institutionally supported. Findings may inform graduate pedagogy, academic mentoring, research training, flexible learning arrangements, and program structures designed to strengthen learner autonomy, persistence, reflective practice, and lifelong learning.