A qualitative inquiry into student attitudes towards free learning

This chapter follows the thread running through this book of how Free Learning has been seen as beneficial to student learning, allowing students to take greater responsibility for their own learning and increasing their motivation to learn. The study reported in the current chapter explored a small group of Year 10 and 11 Media Studies students, and their perceptions towards Free Learning, through a qualitative approach. Interview data were collected from 22 secondary students following the UK’s National Curriculum General Certificate of Secondary Education Media Studies course, delivered using Free Learning as the teaching and learning mode. Students in general agreed that Free Learning helped them to become more independent learners, to become more motivated to learn and, to a certain extent, had been helpful with regard to exam preparation. The conclusion is that while the Free Learning student-directed approach to learning empowers students and benefits learning, it does not disadvantage them in terms of exam preparation. Copyright © 2022 selection and editorial matter, Ross Parker, David Coniam and Peter Falvey; individual chapters, the contributors.