Toward a New Era Where Children Choose How They Learn: Implementing a Classroom Style That Cultivates Self-Directed Learning

As concepts like “personalized learning” and “collaborative learning” gain increasing attention, schools are beginning to focus on developing students’ ability to reflect on and regulate their own learning—also known as self-regulated learning skills. We spoke with Ms. Nitta (pseudonym), a teacher at a public elementary school who is actively exploring these ideas in his classroom.

• From “Being Taught” to “Choosing How to Learn”
• "Choosing" How to Learn Leads to Autonomy
• Deepening Learning through Input and Output
• Freedom to Choose Learning Materials
• Making Learning Visible with “LoiLoNote”
• Active Learning Starts with Choice
• Creating a Psychologically Safe Classroom
• Flexible Learning for the Future

From “Being Taught” to “Choosing How to Learn”

A typical classroom might look something like this:
“Here’s today’s learning objective,” “○○, what do you think?” “Now copy this summary into your notebook.”
While this style of teaching is common, doesn’t it leave students stuck in a passive learning mode?

I believe that by allowing students to choose how they learn, they can develop the skills for self-directed learning. With growing attention on personalized and collaborative learning, I decided to try a new classroom approach where students actively choose how they learn. Here's how it works.

"Choosing" How to Learn Leads to Autonomy

In this approach, students first decide how they want to learn before diving into the content. Will they work alone, in pairs, or groups? Will they ask for help, or offer help to others? The teacher provides a range of options, and students choose the style that best suits their learning needs (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Matching Learning Partners to Individual Needs

Source: Provided by Nitta

For example, students who want a safe and relaxed environment might work with close friends. Those who want a broader perspective might team up with peers who think differently. If a topic feels difficult, they might pair up with someone who’s good at it. Students are free to switch approaches mid-lesson—for instance, starting with a peer at the same level, then later consulting someone with a different viewpoint. Choosing who they learn with helps students internalize learning as something personally meaningful.

Deepening Learning through Input and Output

Another key feature of this classroom style is combining both “input” and “output” activities within the lesson.

Reading from the textbook or listening to a teacher’s explanation alone is often not enough. Instead, students are encouraged to explain what they’ve learned to peers, try out new ideas, or even teach others. This dynamic mix of input and output greatly improves retention.

I always remind students, “Try sharing what you learned with your friends.” Over time, this becomes second nature to them.

Freedom to Choose Learning Materials

Students are not limited to textbooks—they can choose whatever tools best suit their learning goals. They might use tablets to research online, worksheets to structure their thinking, or sticky notes to organize ideas. Each student selects the tools they need to move forward with their learning.

The combinations of who they learn with and what they use are endless. I emphasize to students that making these choices for themselves is what matters most.

Making Learning Visible with “LoiLoNote”

In actual practice, we use the digital tool LoiLoNote. Templates are prepared in advance, and students fill out digital “cards” to document their learning and reflections—viewable by the entire class.

Figure 2: Sample Rubric for Learning Goals

Source: Provided by Nitta

At the start of class, I share the learning objective, rubric (evaluation criteria, as in Figure 2), and the lesson flow. My direct instruction lasts only a few minutes—after that, students engage at their own pace. They use the LoiLoNote cards to document how they learn and what they’ve learned. Because they can see others’ cards as well, students can learn from each other’s approaches at any time.

Figure 3 Example of Student Reflection

Source: Provided by Nitta

At the end of the lesson, we take time to reflect. I encourage students to consider whether their chosen learning method was effective. Some have commented, “I worked alone today, but I asked a peer for help partway through and it really helped”(Figure 3). This shows they are beginning to self-regulate and adjust their learning strategies.

Active Learning Starts with Choice

Even adults can feel overwhelmed if told to “figure it out all on your own.” That’s why choice is the key. Simply selecting from a list of options can help students feel a sense of ownership: “I decided this for myself.”

To become lifelong learners, students need self-regulation skills—the ability to assess what works for them, make adjustments, and plan how to learn more effectively.

Rubrics and other tools help students understand where they are, so they can aim for the next level. Ultimately, I hope to cultivate their ability to think about and improve their own learning.

Creating a Psychologically Safe Classroom

This self-directed learning model also supports students’ emotional well-being. For example, students who feel anxious about being called on in front of the class can work individually or in pairs without fear of being laughed at for making mistakes.

Interestingly, high-achieving students also thrive in this model. In traditional classrooms, students who already learned the material at cram schools may feel bored or frustrated during review sessions.

But here, they become “mini-teachers,” actively explaining concepts to peers, using output as a form of learning. This creates an environment where helping each other is the norm—whether it's a strong student supporting a weaker peer, or someone asking for another’s opinion.

These natural interactions foster a classroom culture where students support each other both during class and in their free time.

Flexible Learning for the Future

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "Leading DX School" website  features a wide range of case studies showcasing new approaches to learning. Some of them may initially seem unrealistic—but once you try them, they often work surprisingly well.

Every time I try something new in the classroom, I’m reminded that children already have a strong inner drive and ability to learn.

Of course, it’s not necessary to conduct every lesson in this way. I believe it’s best to flexibly combine whole-class instruction with more self-directed learning, depending on the content and goals of each unit.

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From Ms. Nitta’s insights, it’s clear that new approaches are emerging to tap into and nurture students’ motivation to learn. These efforts are neither rigidly standardized nor overly hands-off. Moving forward, the key challenge will likely be how to thoughtfully design lessons that balance structure with autonomy.

Education Case Studies