Study On Self-Directed Learning Ability And Its Influencing Factors Among Nursing Undergraduates

Objective:(1) To investigate the self-directed learning ability and its influencing factors among undergraduate nursing students.(2)To explore the relationships among mental self-supporting, educational environment, disposition of critical thinking and self-directed learning ability, and to build a structural equation model for these factors, so as to provide theoretical basis for educational reform strategy to improve students’ ability of self-directed learning.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted including1000nursing undergraduates from11nursing schools in Hunan Province. The participants were asked to complete a questionnaire consisting of Self-Designed Demographic Data Recording Form, Self-Directed Learning Instrument (SDLI) for Nursing Students, the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese version (CCTDI-CV), the Mental Self-Supporting (MSS) Questionnaire of University Students and Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM). Epidata3.0and SPSS18.0software were used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics, t test, F test, validity analysis, Pearson correlation anlysis, multiple linear regression analysis and structural equation analysis were employed.Results:(1)1000subjects were recruited into this study, and885students (88.5%) completed the questionnaire.(2) Cronbach’s a coefficients, split-half reliability coefficient and test-retest reliability for the Self-Directed Learning Instrument (SDLI) for Nursing Students were0.914,0.827and0.913respectively.(3) The total score of nursing undergraduates’self-directed learning ability are (69.37±10.17), and the score of "learning motivation"(21.60±3.73) was the highest and that of the "planning and implementing"(19.96±3.65) dimension was the lowest. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that party members or not, professional emotion, clinical practice, student leaders or not and frequency of reading journal articles on-line were the predictors of self-directed learning ability(P<0.05).(4) Pearson correlation analysis showed that the score of self-directed learning ability of nursing undergraduates was positively correlated with CCTDI score (r=0.382,P<0.01), MSS score (r=0.487,P<0.01) and DREEM score (r=0.464,P<0.01).(5) According to the structural equation analysis, the pathways included perceptions of learning to self-directed learning (β=0.19, P<0.01), academic self-perceptions to self-directed learning (β=0.26, P <0.01), perceptions of teachers to mental self-supporting (β=0.37, P <0.01), perceptions of teachers to critical thinking disposition (β=0.19, P<0.01), perceptions of atmosphere to meatal self-supporting (β=0.12, P<0.01), social self-perceptions to mental self-supporting (β=0.14, P <0.01), mental self-supporting to critical thinking disposition (β=0.53, P<0.01), mental self-supporting to self-directed learning (β=0.18, P <0.01), critical thinking disposition to self-directed learning (β=0.22, P<0.01). Perceptions of learning and academic self-perceptions directly affected the ability of self-directed learning (total effects=0.195,0.256respectively); perceptions of teachers, social self-perceptions and perceptions of atmosphere indirectly affected the ability of self-directed learning by mental self-supporting and critical thinking disposition (total effects=0.151,0.036,0.043respectively); mental self-supporting could affect self-directed learning ability directly or indirectly by critical thinking disposition (total effects=0.295); critical thinking disposition directly affected the ability of self-directed learning (total effects=0.216)Conclusions:(1) The mainland version of Self-Directed Learning Instrument (SDLI) is a reliable and valid assessment for Nursing Students and can be generalized in mainland.(2)The ability of self-directed learning among nursing undergraduates is slightly above the medium level. Students’learning motivations perform best, but the one that needs to strengthen is planning and implementing.(3)Party members or not, professional emotion, clinical practice, student leaders or not and frequency of reading journal articles on-line, mental self-supporting, critical thinking disposition and educational environment were the influencing factors of self-directed learning ability among nursing undergraduates.(4)Mental self-supporting, critical thinking disposition and educational environment can directly affect the ability of self-directed learning; mental self-supporting can also affect self-directed learning ability indirectly by critical thinking disposition; all of the5dimensions of educational environment can affect the ability of self-directed learning, and among all of them, the most significant factors were academic self-perceptions, perceptions of learning and students’perceptions of teachers.