Revisiting Knowles’ "Self-Directed Learning" Theory in the Age of AIGC: A Conceptual Reconstruction Based on the Relationship Between "Technological Dependence" and "Learner Autonomy" in Adult Learners with Disabilities

Wei Da

doi:10.71204/2683ef14

Authors

Wei Da Shenzhen Open University Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.71204/2683ef14

Keywords:

Self-Directed Learning, AIGC, Adult Learners with Disabilities, Technological Dependence, Learner Autonomy

Abstract

The deep integration of AIGC technology into adult education for persons with disabilities raises a fundamental question: can technological dependence and learner autonomy coexist? This study examines the explanatory power of Knowles’ self-directed learning theory for adult learning among persons with disabilities through proposition deduction and conceptual reconstruction. Findings indicate that the core logic of Knowles’ theory - learner-centered agency - remains valid despite technological intervention. This is because psychological maturity and experiential accumulation, the prerequisites for self-directed learning, function independently of physical ability. However, the implementation pathway requires modification: from unmediated autonomy to technology-mediated autonomy. For persons with disabilities, reliance on AIGC tools constitutes functional dependence. This mechanism empowers learners to transcend physical limitations and secures their right to participate, forming a synergistic rather than antagonistic relationship with learner autonomy. Technology enables learning access while learners determine what to learn, how to learn, and how to evaluate outcomes. Accordingly, this study constructs a three-tier analytical framework: the functional tier addresses participation access, the mechanism tier ensures technology serves learner goals, and the value tier orients toward the integration of inclusive learning and self-actualization. This study transcends the historical limitations of Knowles’ technology-absent theoretical context, resolves scholarly debates regarding whether technological dependence undermines learner autonomy through a typological distinction between functional and alienating dependence, and provides theoretical guidance for technology design and educational practice in AIGC-era adult education for persons with disabilities.

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