Evaluation of the Standards for Free Learning at the Open School Waldau (OSW)

In an age in which knowledge is quickly produced, passed on and outdated, the competence to be able to learn independently and self-regulated as well as to be able to recognize and close gaps in knowledge on one's own is a central aspect that should be taught to students at school. This necessity was recognized by the Open School Waldau (OSW), among others. The integrated comprehensive school developed a teaching concept called Free Learning (FL), which is one of the school’s basic principles. Free Learning describes a type of student-centered teaching. In contrast to other, more directive forms of teaching, Free Learning is about opening the organization, methods content, and social aspects of teaching.

As a part of this study, Free Learning at OSW was examined more detailed, particular with the aim of finding out which learning strategies 8th and 9th grade students use and to what extent there are differences between grades or due to other factors such as gender, migration background, and socioeconomic status. In addition, the strategies in free learning were examined for their connection with the concepts of self-efficacy, self-concept, and basic needs in the form of experience of autonomy, experience of competence, and social inclusion. These analyses are based on self-developed scales relating to competencies and strategies for independent learning. Despite the explorative and non-ideal-typical procedure during the development, ten scales were created that are easy to interpret in terms of content and have satisfactory psychometric values. The basic assumption that free learning represents a form of self-regulated learning, in which competencies or strategies comparable to learning strategies are promoted, was largely confirmed.