Inclusive Learning and Educational Equity 5

Comparing Self-Determined and Expert Learners
help us to demonstrate how 
self-determination and expertise in learning are strongly related. Self-directed learn-
ers are on their way to becoming the experts of their learning processes (Biemiller 
& Meichenbaum, 
2017
).
Comparisons among self-determined and expert learners’ qualities reveal self- 
determination theory as a solid theoretical background for expert learners’ 
conception.
Having the sufficient theoretical basis for the concept of expert learners (see 
Fig. 
2.1
), we begin to search for significant characteristics of expert learners that 
could help us identify key milestones that each student can aspire to become the best 
he or she can be.
J. Navaitien
ė and E. Stasiūnaitienė

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37
2.3 Characteristics of Expert Learners in the Context 
of Inclusive Education
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted schooling; therefore, inclusive education 
and development of expert learners must continue. Internals of expert learners 
should be interpreted with openness to diversity, change, and inclusive values 
sustainability.
According to Schwartz and Manning (
2018a
, 
b
), active participation in learning 
processes distinguishes expert learners from classmates. We consider here several 
key differences of expert learners to reveal their dissimilarities wider.
Expert learners notice faster and understand deeper meaningful information. 
They organize information into domains around basic concepts more successfully. 
Their knowledge is not simply a list of facts and formulas relevant to some field. 
Consequently, expert learners organize, represent, and interpret information in more 
efficient ways. They more often mind the context of the applicability of knowledge. 
Expert learners make less attentional efforts when learning because learning mate-
rial functions as a cognitive stimulant (Posner et al., 
2010
). They are more flexible 
in new situations. They are more likely to have metacognition (the ability to monitor 
their level of understanding and determine its adequacy). Expert learners want to 
learn deeply and know better how to learn and how they learn best.
In the minds of expert learners, both the problem and possible problem-solving 
strategies connect more strongly. When faced with a problem, they apply the known 
information and remember similar issues and strategies for solving them efficiently. 
The readily working retrieval system is specific for expert learners because they use 
short-term and long-term memory more efficiently without memorizing each piece 
of information.
Expert learners use stronger self-monitoring skills and better self-knowledge 
because they are more aware of when to verify the solutions, recognize their