Innovative curriculum design: Bridging the theory–practice divide in work-integrated learning to foster Self-Directed Learning is an open-access book published by AOSIS Scholarly Books.

This book reports on the fifth cycle of design-based research (DBR) (see Chapter 1). One of the design principles of the North-West University (NWU) work-integrated learning (WIL) excursions for first-year student teachers is based on cooperative learning (CL), where students work in heterogeneous groups to learn from each other. Another design principle is that the entire two-day synchronous virtual online excursion’s activities are driven by problem-based learning (PBL). For the education students, PBL was constructed on a video diary depicting the many challenges a principal had to manage in a dysfunctional school. Both CL and PBL are effective teaching and learning (T&L) strategies that can contribute to fostering first-year students’ self-directedness. This book therefore contributes to the scholarship of self-directed learning (SDL). This scholarly book, to impact education and health sciences praxis, is the 12th volume of an NWU book series on SDL. The target audience is scholars in the field of SDL and WIL within education and health care education.

Copyright (c) 2023 Neal T. Petersen (Author)

I applaud the editors and authors for tackling such an important issue, especially for addressing the pragmatic bridge between theory and practice from multiple perspectives. I truly appreciate the extensive nature of each chapter in providing the need for the study, theoretical underpinnings, research design and results. Each chapter provides a new insight into navigating a comprehensive curriculum to its artistic delivery and educational impact. This well-orchestrated book will greatly serve current and future education scholars.

Dr Bryan Hains, Department of Community and Leadership Development,
Faculty of Community and Agricultural Education, University of Kentucky, Lexington,
Kentucky, United States of America