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Global Health Econ Sustain Self-directed learning supporting mental health

achievement is well-documented in scientific literature and abilities (Howard et al., 2017) concerning accepted
(Agnafors et al., 2021). In contrast, those who struggle psychosocial standards.
academically and eventually drop out of school face an According to Dewey’s estimation, the establishment
increased risk of developing major depressive symptoms of public schools did not prioritize the promotion of
in adulthood, likely linked to their previous poor academic positive mental health in students, as it was assumed that
performance, resulting in lower income and limited student’s mental habits would conform to the desired
prospects in the labor market (Sörberg Wallin et al., 2019). standardized teaching methods over time. Nevertheless,
As a consequence of this youth mental health crisis, it is Dewey considered this assumption to be grounded in a
acknowledged that standardized learning has a direct and “thoroughly false psychology of mental development”
lasting negative mental health effect on both the highest- because students are not passive recipients of sensory
achieving and the least capable students. input. At the time, Dewey noted that when “variations are
The public schooling model fundamentally is rooted suppressed in the alleged interests of uniformity, and an
in the long-accepted understanding of education itself attempt is made to have a single mold of a method of study
(Laguardia & Pearl, 2009). In 1916, the philosopher, and recitation, mental confusion and artificiality inevitably
psychologist, and educational reformer John Dewey result. Originality is gradually destroyed, confidence in
substantiated the purpose of education as the preparation one’s own quality of mental operation is undermined, and
of young people to become full members of society, a docile subjection to the opinion of others is inculcated,
equipped with both the responsibilities and privileges or else ideas run wild.” In this regard, Dewey’s insights into
of adult life (Dewey, 1916). Schools serve as institutions the outcome of standardized education in public schooling
dedicated to this very mission. Public schools, as a subset foretold the contemporary crisis in student mental health
of educational institutions, are designed with the goal of (Dewey, 1916).
providing common education to the masses through the At present, public schooling has been greatly affected
constructive use of governmental agencies to promote by the COVID-19 pandemic (Flores & Swennen, 2020).
the public good while preserving personal initiative. COVID-19, a previously unknown coronavirus, was
However, Dewey highlighted that these public schools declared a pandemic by the WHO on March 11, 2020
often present a paradox by imparting both excessive and (WHO, 2023). However, on May 4, 2023, the WHO
insufficient information to students, emphasizing a passive reclassified COVID-19, no longer categorizing it as a
role where students are merely recipients of knowledge public health emergency of international concern (WHO,
(“what others pour into them”). In all, Dewey found a 2023). Several individual countries have since classified
“peculiar artificiality attaches to much of what is learned COVID-19 as endemic (Badlou, 2023). Over the course of
in schools” (Dewey, 1916). Remarkably, despite being 3 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools were forced to
penned over 100 years ago, Dewey’s insights into education contend with limitations in education delivery that often
and public schools continue to resonate with our present included full school closure, necessitating a rapid shift to
understanding (Frank, 2019). online learning (Adedoyin & Soykan, 2023) – an education

As designed instruments for reproducing power delivery method reliant on internet-based platforms (Singh
relations in society, public schools, managed by those & Thurman, 2019), even extended to areas of the world
associated with the dominant culture controlling public where online learning was underdeveloped (Akabayashi
resources (Bourdieu, 2018; Wilson & Urick, 2021), et al., 2023). Teachers were required to swiftly acquire
are government-sponsored instruments to stabilize online teaching skills (Chen et al., 2020), while students
and reproduce public social values intended to shape had to adapt to a primarily self-directed mode of learning
individual psychological development across generations (Gerard et al., 2022; Li et al., 2023; Safa & Wicaksono, 2022).
(Feinberg, 2016). Starting from the 1860s, these Self-directed learning, defined as the ability to learn
institutions introduced standardization into the learning independently (Knowles, 1975), is commonly associated
process (Gutek, 2022) with the primary aim of categorizing with adult education (Knowles, 1978; Loeng, 2018) because
students into two groups: those who understand the most the need for self-direction may not yet be recognized
– expected to maintain the accepted psychosocial belief by young people (Loeng, 2020). The significance of self-
system – and those who understand the least – anticipated directed learning in public school students became
to demonstrate psychosocial deviance (Sleeter & particularly important regarding various psychosocial
Carmona, 2017). In this context, the fundamental purpose factors following the shift from teacher-centered classrooms
of standardized educational assessment is to discriminate to learner-centered approaches, especially with the shift to
students based on their demonstrated knowledge, skills, online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic (Toh &

Volume 1 Issue 2 (2023) 2 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.1219