The Notions of Control and Consciousness in Learner Autonomy and Self-Regulated Learning: a comparison and critique

This paper explores two influential theories of self-directed learning: learner autonomy and self-regulated learning, principally as evidenced in the writings of Henri Holec, David Little, Phil Benson, Barry Zimmerman and Paul Pintrich. The paper charts parallels and divergences between these two approaches,identifying any opportunities for mutual enrichment and implicitly raising the question of which is the more convincing. The differences between the two theories appear significant. While learner autonomy assumes that learners are capable of conscious reflection and decision making, there is a greater ambiguity about whether the strategies employed by self-regulated learners are applied consciously or automatically. Moreover, whereas learner autonomy (at least in its broader versions) calls for critical reflection on society and its institutions, in self-regulated learning, critical reflection is directed inwards at the learner’s own performance. In particular, the paper studies the role of control and consciousness in learner autonomy and self-regulated learning and has recourse to Raimo Tuomela’s Philosophy of Sociality and the Self-Determination Theory of John Ryan and Edward Deci, for a resolution of some of the uncertainties surrounding these two issues in each approach. Keywords: autonomy; consciousness; control; self-regulation; self-monitoring; self-determination