Learning from wise Mother Nature or Big Brother Instructor: The wrong choice as from an..

Many psychological models of instruction trace their roots to cognitivistic theories of cognitive development. Thus, they are primarily based on data from young children or cross-cultural comparisons. However, the goal of instructional models is to provide a scientific basis for the reform of all schools in industrialized societies. This article questions the general thesis that students' deep understanding and flexible use of acquired knowledge require necessarily self-directed instruction. It is argued that teacher-directed instruction can also facilitate active student learning, and that such instruction can compensate for some of the disadvantages of self-directed instruction, which plays, of course, a crucial role in cognitive development and productive learning.