Opinions are divided on whether adults should acquire practical skills on their own or in accompany of teachers. Although both views hold merit, I agree more with the former view due to the reasons explained in this essay.
One major advantage of self-directed learning is that it makes academic progress more active and flexible. Self-learning allows people to focus on fields that they do not feel confident enough, and move at their own pace. This is particularly important for acquiring computing or programming skills, as people can learn through their own devices, practice along with tutorial videos, and avoid extended, yet irrelevant explanations. Learning by oneself also provides them autonomy over their time and place. Many adults have to face hectic schedules everyday and find it hard to follow a fixed academic curriculum. In this case, self-learning helps them to arrange studies in their leisure time or after-work periods.
However, teachers do have a role to play in helping adults acquire transferable skills. A teacher can provide guidances, offer directions, clear confusion, and check on their progress regularly. This helps individuals to sustain motivation over time and maintain discipline and commitment to their study, resulting in a sustainable and long-term academic journey. In contrast, when studying on their own, people may easily get trapped in distractions such as phones, or noise, preventing them from maintaining focus over a long time. Even so, this opportunity is not evenly distributed, especially for those living in remote areas, where classrooms for adults are unpopular and limited. For this reason, it is advisable to rely more on self-learning to learn and practice while teachers can check on the progress when possible.
In conclusion, while teachers can cultivate discipline and sustain motivation, I believe that individuals should learn skills primarily by themselves in order to avoid overcomplicated explanations and actively arrange schedules.