Reflections and Readiness of Medical Students for Self-Directed Learning (SDL): An Observational Cross-Sectional...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Self-directed learning (SDL) is an active learning strategy fostering higher-order cognitive skills and student self-efficacy.
• SDL is crucial for medical students to maintain lifelong learning and update clinical knowledge.
• It supports development across cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning domains.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the readiness and reflections of medical students regarding self-directed learning (SDL) in medical education.
• To compare SDL readiness between first- and third-year medical students.
• To identify challenges associated with implementing SDL in medical curricula.

Main Methods:

• An observational, questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study involving 208 first- and third-year medical students.
• Utilized a pre-validated questionnaire with a Likert scale and open-ended questions to gather data on SDL readiness and reflections.
• Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, including means and percentages, using Microsoft Excel.

Main Results:

• Approximately 86.5% of third-year students and 76.9% of first-year students showed positive readiness for SDL.
• A significant majority (95.2%) identified time constraints and the need for extensive planning and research skills as major challenges.
• Third-year students reported higher readiness in motivation, planning, implementation, and interpersonal communication compared to first-year students.

Conclusions:

• Third-year medical students demonstrate greater overall readiness for self-directed learning across key domains.
• Time constraints and the need for enhanced planning and research skills are significant barriers to SDL implementation.
• Findings underscore the importance of addressing these challenges to effectively integrate SDL into medical education.