Exploring the Role of Self-Directed Learning in the Development of Lifelong Learning Competences among English Studies Students

Abstract

Self-directed learning (SDL) is increasingly recognised as central to the development of lifelong learning competences (LLCs) in higher education. However, qualitative evidence remains limited regarding how English Studies students enact SDL in practice, how contextual conditions shape these processes, and how SDL contributes to competence development over time. Guided by Knowles’ theory of andragogy, Self-Determination Theory, and Zimmerman’s self-regulated learning model, this study adopts an interpretivist qualitative case study design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with undergraduate English Studies students and instructors at a Vietnamese university and analysed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Analysis was guided by a focused framework comprising four SDL practices involving goal-setting and planning; strategy use and monitoring; help-seeking and resource management; and reflection and self-evaluation and four lifelong learning competences: autonomy, adaptability, critical thinking, and reflective capacity. The findings show that students conceptualised SDL as an active, responsibility-driven process and enacted it through personalised planning, strategic learning behaviours, and selective use of digital and social resources. Goal-setting and planning emerged as the most dominant SDL practice, while reflection was frequently triggered by assessment and feedback rather than by deeper identity-oriented inquiry. SDL engagement was strongly shaped by contextual conditions, including instructional scaffolding, assessment design, feedback practices, digital tools, and time constraints. Students perceived sustained engagement in SDL as contributing to the development of autonomy, adaptability, critical thinking, and reflective capacity, though these competences developed unevenly. Overall, the study demonstrates that SDL and lifelong learning competences evolve through the dynamic interaction of learner agency and contextual support rather than through individual effort alone. The findings highlight the need for structured yet autonomy-supportive learning environments to foster sustainable self-directed learning in English Studies programmes.