The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly transformed the educational landscape, necessitating the rapid adoption of e-learning strategies to ensure instructional continuity. This shift has introduced various challenges, particularly in fostering students' self-directed learning. This study examines teachers' strategies to develop students' self-directed learning capabilities during this unprecedented time. The focus is identifying practical approaches facilitating student engagement and autonomy within the e-learning context. This qualitative descriptive study involved teachers from six high schools in Banjarnegara, Central Java. Data were collected through interviews and observations, providing a comprehensive understanding of the teachers' strategies and implementation. The data were analyzed using an interactive analysis technique, including data collection, reduction, display, and conclusion drawing/verification. This approach allowed for an in-depth examination of the teachers' methods and effectiveness in promoting self-directed learning among students. The study revealed that teachers faced two main challenges in developing students’ self-directed learning and employed five strategies to address these challenges. The findings suggest that when effectively implemented, these strategies can significantly enhance students' ability to engage in self-directed learning, thereby mitigating some of the challenges posed by the shift to e-learning during the pandemic.