Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Department of Physiology, Bhaikaka University, Karamsad, Gujarat, India
2 Department of Medical Education, Bhaikaka University, Karamsad, Gujarat, India
3 Department of Anatomy, PSMC, Bhaikaka University, Karamsad, Gujarat, India
Abstract
BACKGROUND: To motivate students toward the path of lifelong learning, it is important to train
them for a self‑directed learning (SDL) approach, where they identify the need of learning the content
as well as look forward to attaining the learning outcome, independently. The level of readiness
for SDL will allow the learner to be self‑disciplined, self‑organized, an effective team builder and
communicator, a self‑assessor, and a self‑reflector, thus being a self‑learner with the ability to accept
and give constructive feedback. The aim of the study was to develop, validate, and implement the
SDL 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 with
12 experts and was implemented for the medical students at Karamsad, Gujarat as a cross‑sectional
survey after a pilot trial scale from May 2021 to September 2021, using mean, the standard deviation
for each item, and arrived sub‑titles. The ANOVA test was used to find differences in readiness
scores as per different years of the medical program.
RESULT: The result demonstrates that the maximum score was obtained for the first‑year medical
student (149.89 ± 24.72), which dropped in year 2 (136.35 ± 32.26) but increased by the final
year (147.67 ± 56.66), although not as high as the initial joining year. However, a statistically
significant 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 no
statistical significance for the DSVS‑self‑directed learning readiness scale (SDLRS) score and
demographic variables.
CONCLUSION: The outcome of the study strongly suggests training/sensitization sessions for
students to highlight the importance of a SDL approach in a digital millennium. Moreover, a longitudinal
follow‑up needs to be conducted for the readiness score of the students based on the developed
scale and subsequent training sessions need to be organized for students as well as faculty for better
outcomes for the students toward SDL sessions.
Keywords
Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc 2011;122:48‑58.
2. Medical Council of India (MCI). Regulation on Graduate Medical
Regulation (GMER)‑2019‑MCI. November 04, 2019. Available fr
om: https://old.mciindia.org/tools/announcement
/MCI_booklet.pdf. [Last accessed on 2019 Aug 15].
3. The Gazette Of India. 2019. Board of Governors in
Super‑Session Of Medical Council Of India Amendment
Notification, New Delhi. November 04, 2019. Available
from: https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2020
/219374.pdf. [Last accessed on 2021 Dec 30].
4. Knowles MS. Self‑Directed Learning: A Guide for Learners &
Teachers. The United States of America; 1975.
5. Bhandari B, Rathor DC. Self‑directed learning: Assessment
of students’ abilities and their perspective. Adv Physiol Edu
2020;44:383–6.
6. Premkumar K, Vinod E, Sathishkumar S, Pulimood AB,
Umaefulam V, Prasanna Samuel P, et al. Self‑directed learning
readiness of Indian medical students: A mixed‑method study.
BMC Med Educ 2018;18:1–10.
7. El‑Gilany AH, Abusaad FES. Self‑directed learning readiness and
learning styles among Saudi undergraduate nursing students.
Nurse Educ Today 2013;33:1040–4.
8. Fisher M, King J, Tague G. Development of a self‑directed
learning readiness scale for nursing education. Nurse Educ Today
2001;21:516–25.
9. Fisher MJ, King J. The self‑directed learning readiness scale for
nursing education revisited: A confirmatory factor analysis. Nurse
Educ Today 2010;30:44–8.
10. Williamson SN. Development of a self‑rating scale of self‑directed
learning. Nurse Res 2007;14:66–83.
11. Cheng SF, Kuo CL, Lin KC, Lee‑Hsieh J. Development and
preliminary testing of a self‑rating instrument to measure the
self‑directed learning ability of nursing students. Int J Nurs Stud
2010;47:1152–8.
12. Guglielmino P, Guglielmino GL. Development of the self‑directed
learning readiness scale. Dissertation, University of Georgia.
Dissertation Abstracts International 1978;38:6467. Available from:
https://www.lpasdlrs.com/. [Last accessed on 2020 Mar 30].
13. Guglielmino LM. Development of the self‑directed learning
readiness scale (Ph.D. dissertation). Dissert Abstr Int 1977;38:6467.
14. Kumar AP, Omprakash A, Mani PKC, Swaminathan N,
Maheshkumar N, Maruthy KN. Validation of internal structure
of self‑directed learning readiness scale among Indian medical
students using factor analysis and the structural equation
modelling approach. BMC Med Educ 2021;21:614.
15. Williamson S, Seewoodhary R. Student Evaluation of the
Usefulness of the Self‑rating Scale of Self‑directed Learning tool
in the FdSc in Health and Social Care Course. J Healthc Commun
2017;2:48.
16. Frambach JM, Driessen EW, Chan LC, Van der Vleuten CPM.
Rethinking the globalization of problem‑based learning:
How culture challenges self‑directed learning. Med Educ
2012;46:738–47.
17. Ahmad BE, Majid FA. Self‑directed learning and culture: A study
on Malay adult learners. Procedia Soc Behav Sci 2010;7:254–63.
18. Hofstede G. Cultural differences in teaching and learning. Int J
Intercult Relations 1986;10:301–20.
19. Linstone, HA, Turoff, M. The Delphi Method: Techniques
and Applications. 2002. Available from: https://web.njit.
edu/~turoff/pubs/delphibook/delphibook.pdf. https://web.
njit.edu/~turoff/pubs/delphibook/delphibook.pdf. [Last
accessed on 2020 Mar 30].
20. Grime MM, Wrigh G. Delphi Method. Wiley StatsRef: Statistics
Reference Online. 2016. Available from: file:///C:/Users/
dullo/Desktop/Medical%20education/SDL/SDL‑Articles/
Grime‑DelphiMethod.pdf. [Last accessed on 2020 Mar 30].
21. Lawshe CH. A quantitative approach to content validity. Pers
Psychol 1975;28:563–75.
22. Shah DK, Yadav RL, Sharma D, Yadav PK, Sapkota NK, Jha RK,
et al. Learning approach among health sciences students in a
medical college in Nepal: A cross‑sectional study. Adv Med Educ
Pract 2016;7:137–43.
23. Datta SS, Boratne AV, Patil R. How medical undergraduates
prepare for university exam: Lesson from a teaching medical
institution in South India. Indian J Comm Health 2012;24:352‑5.
24. Kar SS, Premarajan KC, Ramalingam A, Iswarya S, Sujiv A,
Subitha L. Self‑directed learning readiness among fifth semester MBBS students in a teaching institution of South India. Educ
Health (Abingdon) 2014;27:289‑92.
25. Balamurugan S, Kumar H. Self‑directed Learning
Readiness ( S D L R ) a m o n g M e d i c a l s t u d e n t s :
A questionnaire‑based study from an Indian Medical school.
South East Asian J Med Educ 2015;9:59–64.
26. CadorinL, ReiA, DanteA, BulfoneT, VieraG, PaleseA. Enhancing
self‑directed learning among Italian nursing students: A pre‑and
post‑intervention study. Nurse Educ Today 2015;35:746–53.
27. Gyawali S, Jauhari AC, Shankar PR, Saha A, Ahmad M. Readiness
for self‑directed learning among first semester students of a
medical school in Nepal. J Clin Diagn Res 2011;5:20–3.
28. Madhavi KVP, Madhavi BD. Readiness for self‑directed learning
among undergraduate medical students of Andhra Medical
College, Visakhapatnam. Int J Community Med Public Health
2017;4:2836‑40.
)