Evaluation of Preparedness and Penetration of Self-directed Learning among Firstyear Medical Students at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital: A Questionnaire-based Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Self-directed Learning (SDL) for medical students involves taking initiative, setting goals, seeking out resources, reflecting on progress and continuously adapting to the evolving field of medicine. Aim: To evaluate the preparedness and penetration of SDL concepts among first-year medical students. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy, at Konaseema Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amalapuram, Andhra Pradesh, India, from September 2022 to October 2022. The students were exposed to atleast two sessions of orientation to the SDL concepts. The questionnaire had three sections with questions on preparedness, methodology and penetration of SDL. It was administered electronically through a secure online platform to ensure convenience and confidentiality. The questions were designed to gather information about the students’ prior knowledge and readiness for SDL, their current SDL practices, and their perception of SDL in medical education. Categorical variables preparedness and penetration were presented as percentages. Results: Among 150 medical students, 130 students participated in the survey, and excluding the incomplete submissions, 127 responses were considered for analysis. A total of 11 (8.6%) respondents were very familiar and 47 (37%) respondents were somewhat familiar with the concept of SDL. A total of 88 (69.2%) respondents said that they set learning goals with guidance from instructors. Only 21 (16.5%) students used online resources (e.g., medical websites, video lectures) daily. A total of 106 (83.4%) students agreed that SDL will be essential throughout their medical career as lifelong learners. Conclusion: The present survey showed that though most students are familiar with SDL, students still require faculty guidance for goal setting and expect explanatory videos specially prepared by faculty. Though most students agree that SDL is important in medical education and is essential throughout a medical career, at the same time, fewer than half of the students received formal training regarding SDL.

Keywords

• goal setting
• lifelong learning
• medical curriculum
• ownership of learning