Mature learners often invest a great deal of emotional energy in starting a higher education qualification. They have complex needs which are often less to do with their ability to learn and more to do with aspects of confidence and levels of self-belief about achieving or feeling "good enough" to participate. This article explores the relationship between the learner, the opportunities they have to engage with others and how learning and teaching strategies can be utilised to empower self-determined learning and development. An emerging paradigm of heutagogy or self-directed learning will be examined in the context of mature learners entering higher education for the first time. Supporting students in the process of reflective practice is ongoing, and this research provides a snapshot to determine whether students are on their way to taking control of their own learning and meaning-making about early childhood concepts and their implementation into practice. (Contains 2 figures.)