An Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Self-Directed Pedagogy in Place-Based Education

Background and Objectives: Self-directed learning is a facilitative educational model in which learners engage in the learning process through individual and group exploratory capabilities, supported by the educational system. This study aimed to conduct a comparative evaluation of two self-directed learning methods—individual and group-based—in place-based social studies instruction. Methods: The research employed a post-event comparative design, with a sample of 22 fourth-grade students from a primary school in Zanjan, divided into two matched groups. Individual and group self-directed strategies were implemented for two place-based lessons in social studies, and outcomes were assessed through interpretive analysis and cumulative testing. Findings: Findings indicate that the individual self-directed method was more effective for small-scale geographic content (e.g., neighborhood), while the group-based method proved more suitable for large-scale geographic topics (e.g., country). Although both methods enhanced student learning, the individual approach required direct field engagement, whereas the group approach relied more heavily on library-based resources such as books, articles, websites, and atlases. Cumulative test results revealed average scores of 19.75 (out of 20) for the individual method and 18.89 for the group method. For non-field-based lessons with broader territorial scope, scores were 17.80 for the individual method and 19.80 for the group method. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the nature of place-based content plays a decisive role in determining the appropriate type and model of teaching and learning strategies, such as self-directed learning.