“…SDL has been defined as "a process in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes" (Knowles, 1975, p. 18). It has also been defined as an independent pursuit involving a philosophy of personal autonomy and self-management (Candy, 1991); learners' psychological processes that are purposefully directed to gain knowledge, solve problems, or develop a skill (Long, 1994); self-directed study where an individual accepts responsibility for designing and pursuing an educative activity (Houle, 1988, p. 92); a training design where trainees master packages of material at their own pace without instructor's aid (Piskurich, 1993); and the most basic response to newness, problems, or challenges in the environment (Guglielmino, 2008). In the SDL literature, self-directed learners are characterised as individuals who undertake learning for personal growth (Merriam and Caffarella, 1999); assume primary responsibility for planning, implementing, and evaluating the learning process (Brockett and Hiemstra, 1991); diagnose their own needs and formulate their own goals (Spencer and Jordan, 1999); identify, assess, and select appropriate learning resources and strategies (Candy, 1991); and monitor and evaluate their own progress (Candy, 1991;Lieberman and Linn, 1991).…”