Self-Directed Learning

Self-directed learning (SDL) has numerous implications for understanding adult learners and for improving their museum experiences. Through a review of the conceptual and empirical literature, the relationship between SDL and education within a museum setting is explored in this article. Discussion includes an overview of SDL, inquiry into two models, Self-Directed Orientation toward Learning (SDOL) and Personal Responsibility Orientation (PRO) that offer particular insight into SDL and museums, and implications for practice that SDL may provide for museums.