A mindset change in favour of self-directed learning could solve many of the problems in education and possibly in the workplace too, according to award-winning North-West University (NWU) expert Prof Elsa Mentz.
The Education Association of South Africa (EASA) awarded Prof Mentz the EASA Medal of Honour during its annual conference at Sun City in January.
Prof Mentz is the director of the NWU Research Unit for Self-Directed Learning– believed to be the only such unit in the international education research community.
According to EASA, the medal was awarded to Prof Mentz in recognition of “outstanding service to education by an individual over a sustained period of time”.
A career dedicated to education
Prof Mentz has devoted her research to self-directed learning (SDL) and to enhancing it in formal and informal education. “To me it is very special that I receive this award 50 years after pioneering American educator Macolm Knowles first conceptualised self-directed learning in 1975.
“There is a vast body of literature on self-directed learning, and it is continually growing. I am convinced that many of our problems in education, and even in the workplace, can be solved if we all change our mindset from teaching and being taught, to learning and taking responsibility for our own learning.”
Prof Elsa, with the assistance of her colleagues, established self-directed learning as a strategic priority for teaching and learning, initially specifically in the Faculty of Education, but later at the NWU as a whole as well.
She says she would not have been able to do it alone and makes special mention of Prof Lloyd Conley, the executive dean of the Faculty of Education, her colleagues at the Research Unit for Self-Directed Learning and her international colleagues.
“It is heartwarming and inspiring to be told by international collaborators that the Unit for Self-Directed Learning at the NWU is the only one of its kind in the world.”
Prof Elsa knows the impact of her work will continue. “My research on self-directed learning is much bigger than myself and it will carry on long after I have stepped back. I believe it is the future of education, and I see myself as a small contributor to the scholarship thereof.”
This is not the first recognition Prof Elsa has received for her work in the field. Her dedication and expertise also earned her the Lifelong Contribution in Promoting Self-Directed Learning in Praxis, Theory and Research Award during the 7th International Self-Directed Learning Conference in November last year.
In January 2020 she also received international recognition for her research when she received the Malcolm Knowles Award from the International Society for Self-Directed Learning in Florida in the USA. This was the first time that the recipient was from outside the USA or Europe. It is awarded to those who have made significant lifelong contributions to the field of SDL.
Commenting on her recent EASA award, Prof Mentz says, “I am humbled to be the recipient of this award and truly appreciate it. It is a wonderful honour to receive awards and I give all the glory to God for it.”
Prof Elsa Mentz dedicated her EASA Medal of Honour to her husband, Prof Kobus Mentz, for his support, encouragement and understanding over the years. “I am fortunate to have a husband who is also in academia and understands the long hours, the challenges, and the time away from home.”
