. Puja Dulloo; . Suman Singh; . Neeraj Vedi; . Praveen Singh
Volume 13, Issue 2 , February 2023, , Pages 1-8
Abstract
BACKGROUND: To motivate students toward the path of lifelong learning, it is important to trainthem for a self‑directed learning (SDL) approach, where they identify the need of learning ...
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BACKGROUND: To motivate students toward the path of lifelong learning, it is important to trainthem for a self‑directed learning (SDL) approach, where they identify the need of learning the contentas well as look forward to attaining the learning outcome, independently. The level of readinessfor SDL will allow the learner to be self‑disciplined, self‑organized, an effective team builder andcommunicator, a self‑assessor, and a self‑reflector, thus being a self‑learner with the ability to acceptand give constructive feedback. The aim of the study was to develop, validate, and implement theSDL readiness scale for health professional students.MATERIALS AND METHOD: The readiness scale of 43 items was used in four sub‑titles (awareness,learning strategies, and style, motivation, team building) was developed using the Delphi method with12 experts and was implemented for the medical students at Karamsad, Gujarat as a cross‑sectionalsurvey after a pilot trial scale from May 2021 to September 2021, using mean, the standard deviationfor each item, and arrived sub‑titles. The ANOVA test was used to find differences in readinessscores as per different years of the medical program.RESULT: The result demonstrates that the maximum score was obtained for the first‑year medicalstudent (149.89 ± 24.72), which dropped in year 2 (136.35 ± 32.26) but increased by the finalyear (147.67 ± 56.66), although not as high as the initial joining year. However, a statisticallysignificant difference per gender was identified for a few items of the scale [(items 24 (P < 0.034),26 (P < 0.0005), 37 (P < 0.035), and 40 (P < 0.013)]. The logistic regression analysis showed nostatistical significance for the DSVS‑self‑directed learning readiness scale (SDLRS) score anddemographic variables.CONCLUSION: The outcome of the study strongly suggests training/sensitization sessions forstudents to highlight the importance of a SDL approach in a digital millennium. Moreover, a longitudinalfollow‑up needs to be conducted for the readiness score of the students based on the developedscale and subsequent training sessions need to be organized for students as well as faculty for betteroutcomes for the students toward SDL sessions.
