Recolección, clasificación de datos y preparación de los datos

We need to know the status of research activities within the field of SDL to understand the current trends within this field, the suggestions and opinions of the prominent researchers regarding the research in future. This will be helpful later to detect the existing gaps in the field of SDL and then to decide what to examine through my research. This is the subject of this section and it will be achieved by examining what different researchers like Merriam, Caffarella, Rager, Brocket etc have mentioned regarding this topic.

There were in the past decade many researches and opinions related to the impact and advantages of the internet on SDL. For example, Bulik and Hanor (2000) believe that the internet supports SDL through increasing learner control and providing mechanisms for learners to select and determine what information is pertinent for them. Mathai (2002) suggests that the Internet is considered an ideal tool for enhancing SDL because of its ready access to massive amounts of information and its ease as for communication. Draves (2002) mentioned various reasons why the Internet enhances learning, including being able to learn at a peak time of day, learning at your own speed, accessibility to much information, an ability to track personal progress, and the capability to test personal learning efforts. He also believes that cognitive learning via the Internet is actually better than in-person learning. Rager (2006) stated that being skilled at using the

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Internet is critical now when thinking about the organizing circumstance concept introduced by Spear and Mocker (1984). He cautions us to think about the challenges that the Internet can present to some learners.

Candy (2004) stresses the Internet’s liberating value regarding the continuous information access and no geographic boundaries or restrictions. He believes that some SDL forms are well suited to the Internet:

. . .Self-directed learning is one key way in which people keep up with change and, since we are currently experiencing an unprecedented level and pace of change on a global scale, it is plausible to expect the demands of a changing world to lead to greater amounts of self-directed learning (p. 20).

The researches of Downes (2010) and Siemens (2008) led to highlighting a new example of SDL which is based on connectivism. They suggested that being a member of an online network, communicating with others and filtering information and ideas which others present leads to knowledge creation and learning advancement. The concept of connectivism advocates the active engagement of people with resources in communication with others rather than transferring knowledge from the tutor to the learner. More researches indicated that some literacies are critical for learners to be able to effectively direct their own learning in an open online networked environment. These literacies include information and media literacy, the ability to critically analyze resources and information in order to understand the new semantics of the web. Other researchers highlighted creative abilities and a flexible mindset in an environment that is characterised by change and complexity (Downes 2009; Partnership 21st Century Skills 2009; Sahlberg 2009). This is important for my research because some participants might be using the internet for learning. It is useful to know about the necessary literacies and connectivism to understand how SDL can be done through the internet.

Many researchers acknowledged that there has been a considerable decline in the interest and research on SDL (Brockett 2000; Brocket et al., 1994, 2000; Merriam 2001; Merriam & Caffarella 1999; Rager 2003). This unexpected trend happened though many adult learning researchers and practitioners and human resources professionals had been for more than 30 years interested in SDL (Wentling, Brinkley, & Nelson, 1997). Consequently, there were different reactions and suggestions regarding how to deal with this trend. Brockett (2000) suggested that there is no need to abandon the research in the

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field of SDL because the challenge is now "how to take the study of self-direction to a new level" (Brockett, 2000, p.543). He believes that this can be implemented through four methods: (a) updating what is known about SDL through literature reviews, (b) researching new ways of measuring self-directedness, (c) extending the research approaches to include more qualitative approaches, and (d) promoting the dialogue about SDL among scholars researching in this filed.

Despite the noticeable decline in the trend for research in the field of SDL, Guglielmino (2008) asserts that there is a growing importance in SDL in three contexts, namely: (a) formal learning settings, (b) learning in workplace, and (c) other personal settings. Moreover, she also confirms that SDL offers a path to increased life satisfaction. For example, SDL is important in our every day life for parenting, managing health care and health emergencies, pursing interests and leisure activities and seeking meaning. She states that "self-directed learning is our most basic, natural response to newness, problems, or challenges in our environment" (Guglielmino, 2008), and she believes that SDL is necessary for survival in a changing environment.

Merriam and Caffarella (1999) advocated testing the SDL models, taking care of the researchers’ past recommendations and using different research paradigms to study SDL such as the interpretive, critical and feminist approaches. Brookfield (2000) believes that the political context, social construct of SDL activities and cultural contingency had been ignored, and SDL should be reconstructed to become a political concept.

Merriam and Caffarella (1999) and Merriam, (2001) believe that it is necessary to present more theoretical studies and researches on SDL to broaden its existing literature. Therefore, they have presented many useful research questions to improve our understanding of SDL. Other scholars believe that more researches on SDL should be implemented within the business and industry environments to improve our perception of SDL within these environments (Cho 2002; Clardy 2000; Confessore & Kops 1998; Durr et al., 1996; Vann 1996; Wentling et al., 1997).

On the other hand, there is a growing interest in other concepts in the West like lifelong learning, communities of practice, tacit knowledge and situated learning. We can examine the definitions of these concepts to see how they are different from SDL. Lifelong learning is the ongoing voluntary and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons (Department of Education and Science, 2000). The concept of

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communities of practice refers to a group of people who are interested in a certain task they do and they learn how to do it better through regular interaction (Wenger, 1998). Tacit knowledge is the type of knowledge that you gain through personal experience of working in an organisation, but it is not written down and difficult to share (Financial Times, 2014). Situated learning is a form of learning that takes place in the same context in which it is applied (Lave & Wenger, 1991).

There are some differences between SDL and these four concepts as communities of practice and situated learning refer to a ‘group of learners’, and learning tacit knowledge could be done by one individual or a group of learners. Lifelong learning and SDL refer to individual forms of learning but lifelong learning differs in its duration as it is ‘lifelong’ whereas SDL can be implemented for a limited period. However, if SDL is intended to be practiced for a lifelong, it will be lifelong learning. These four concepts seem to be building on the concept of SDL as they have its components (as stated by Knowles) with some differences. For example, situated learning and communities of practice seem to challenge the emphasis on individualism.

Therefore, these four concepts (i.e. lifelong learning, communities of practice, tacit knowledge and situated learning) have the following mutual characteristics:

 They have a great importance for companies and management learning;

 they are forms of SDL (regarding tacit knowledge, the reference here is not to its definition, but to how to acquire it , i.e. learn it, from others);

 these four concepts can be considered forms of SDL because Knowles’ definition of SDL is applicable to all of them except the notion of individualism regarding communities of practice and situated learning and the duration of the process regarding lifelong learning (this means that they need an initiative, planning diagnosing the learning needs etc);

 they are important for my research as I may find some Syrian managers who practice them and believe they are forms of SDL.

However, despite this decline in the researches in the field of SDL, this subject is still taught at many reputable business schools because it is considered necessary for managers and organisations. Moreover, SDL is strongly related to the concept of lifelong learning, tacit knowledge, situated learning and communities of practice as they all lie

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within the topic of management learning and development and these four concepts can be considered forms of SDL (as explained earlier). I agree with Guglielmino (2008) that SDL is a ‘necessary for survival in a changing environment’ and it is not expected in the foreseen future to see a decline in the researches which are related to learning in workplace. This research also follows Brockett’s (2000) advice as he wanted the researchers not to abandon the research in the field of SDL. This research is also useful as it: (1) updates what is known about SDL through its literature review and conclusions, (2) it extends the research approaches by including a qualitative approach, and (3) it increases the existing knowledge about SDL in the non-western countries.

This section explained the current researches in the field of SDL and highlighted some differences between SDL and other concepts which seem to receive great interest and attention in the West. It shows the current field of research within which my research is situated and explains its relatedness to different important concepts. It is possible now to advance towards other fields of research which are closer to my research focus on the topic more closely.