Natl. J. Physiol. Pharm. Pharmacol. (2025), Vol. 15(1): 33–40

Original Research

10.5455/NJPPP.2025.v15.i1.6

Self-directed learning readiness among first-year MBBS students in a Government Medical College of Kolkata, India: A cross-sectional observational study

Biswas Sharmistha^1*, and Adhikari Anjan²

¹Department of Anatomy, Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, India

²Department of Pharmacology, Medical College, Kolkata, India

*Corresponding Author: Biswas Sharmistha. Department of Anatomy, Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, India. Email: drsarmisthabiswas [at] gmail.com

Submitted: 07/08/2024 Accepted: 04/12/2024 Published: 31/01/2025

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Abstract

Background: SDL plays a crucial role in inculcating the habit of reading and learning in medical students. A successful medical student should have the ability to plan, coordinate, and oversee his or her own learning experience. In India, usually, students start their journey in the medical field quite early, and they have yet to come out of the concept of relying on teachers for guidance on what and how to learn. Many of these young adults find the concept of SDL unfamiliar. While everyone possesses some level of self-direction in learning, learners differ in their readiness for SDL. Competency-based medical education curriculum has made implementation of SDL mandatory.

Aim: The present study aimed to assess the readiness for SDL among first-year MBBS students in a government medical college of Kolkata, West Bengal, using Fisher’s self-directed learning readiness scale (SDLRS).

Methods: This study was carried out at the Department of Anatomy, of a government medical college, Kolkata, after obtaining institutional ethics committee clearance. Eighty first-year MBBS students were included in the study.

Two SDL sessions were conducted weekly, for gross anatomy of two abdominal viscera. Pre-tests and post-tests were taken before and after each session to assess students’ progress after SDL sessions. In the following week, the students were asked to answer the questionnaires applying Fischer’s SDLRS.

Fisher’s SDLRS consists of 40 items categorized into three domains. The items of Fisher’s SDLRS were scored on a five-point Likert. The total score of Fisher’s SDLRS can range from 40 to 200. The data collected were statistically analyzed in consultation with a statistician.

Results: Out of 80 students, 35 students scored more than 150 on Fischer’s readiness scale, while 45 scored less than 150, indicating that the majority of the students (56.25%) were not ready for SDL. The mean score for SDL readiness was 140.07.

The mean self-management score was 41.25, the mean score for desire for learning was 42.95, and the mean self-control score was 54.35.

Conclusion: The majority of the eighty first-year medical students (56.25%) were not ready for self-directed learning, and 43.75% of the students were ready. Our study threw light on the fact that despite having a high desire for learning and ability of self-control, students need to be supported in their self-management skills. Their self-directed learning readiness can be improved if guided properly.

Keywords: Self-directed learning, SDLRS, gross anatomy, viscera.

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Introduction

Self-directed learning or SDL is defined by adult education expert Malcolm Knowles as the process by which the students themselves take the initiative to diagnose their learning needs, formulate their learning goals, identify resources for learning, and evaluate their learning outcomes (Knowles 1975). SDL plays a crucial role in inculcating the habit of reading and learning in medical students, who are supposed to be life-long learners in their professional careers (Khiat 2017). A successful medical student should have the ability to plan, coordinate, and oversee his or her own learning experience (Mast and Davis 1994). For transition from passive to active learners, SDL is necessary.

In India, usually, students start their journey in the medical field quite early, just after their higher secondary examination. They are yet to come out of the concept of relying on teachers for guidance on what and how to learn. Many of these young adults find the concept of SDL unfamiliar. They are at a loss when given the responsibility of determining their own learning goals and strategies. It is difficult for them to shift gears for SDL (Leatemia et al., 2016; Premkumar et al., 2018). Since the implementation of competency-based medical education (CBME) by the NMC, SDL is receiving attention, and even dedicated time has been allotted to SDL in the CBME curriculum.

Despite all reservations, the implementation of SDL has become mandatory (Bhandari et al., 2020). While everyone possesses some level of self-direction in learning, learners differ in their readiness for SDL (Wiley 1983). The individual student’s perception of possessing the skills and attitudes associated with SDL was assessed among nursing students by a scale designed by Fisher et al. (2001) and Fisher and King (2010). This scale was used to assess SDL readiness among other health care professions as well (Deyo et al., 2011; Behar-Horenstein et al., 2018). Hendry and Ginns (2009) validated the SDLRS among medical students (Hendry and Ginns 2009). The validation of SDLRS tool among Indian medical students was done by some researchers (Abraham et al., 2011; Kumar et al., 2021).

The present study aimed to assess the readiness for SDL among first-year MBBS students in a government medical college of Kolkata, West Bengal, India, using Fisher’s SDLRS.

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Methods

This cross-sectional observational study was carried out at the Department of Anatomy, of a government medical college, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, from January 2024 to June 2024. Eighty first-year MBBS students, who were willing to participate, were included in the study. All the students consented to participate in the study. The study was conducted after obtaining institutional ethics committee clearance (EC-CNMC/2024/388, dated 9.03.24).

Table 1. Fisher’s SDLRS questionnaire.

Two SDL sessions were conducted for gross anatomy of two abdominal viscera, with a frequency of one session in 1 week. Pre-tests and post-tests were taken before and after each session to assess students’ progress after SDL sessions. In the third week, the students were asked to answer the questionnaires applying Fischer’s self-directed learning readiness scale (SDLRS).

Fisher’s SDLRS consists of 40 items categorized into three domains: self-management (SM) (13 items), desire for learning (12 items), and self-control (SC) (15 items). The items of Fisher’s SDLRS were scored on a five-point Likert scale from 5 (completely agree) to 1 (completely disagree), vide Table 1.

The scores of self-management (SM) domain let us understand how far the learners are able to identify their own educational needs, and whether they can set learning goals, manage their time, and provide constructive feedback. The minimum possible score of the SM domain is 13 and the maximum score can be 65.

The minimum and the maximum possible scores for desire for learning are 12–60. The score of this domain can give us an idea about the learners’ motivation for acquiring knowledge.

The minimum and the maximum scores of the SC domain are 15 and 75, respectively. This domain emphasizes that self-directed learners are completely independent individuals who can analyze, plan, implement, and evaluate their learning.

Therefore, the total score of Fisher’s SDLRS can range from 40 to 200.

The data collected were statistically analyzed in consultation with a statistician.

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Results

Eighty first-year MBBS students were asked to fill up Fisher’s SDLRS questionnaire after conduction of two SDL sessions. The results are tabulated in Table 2.

Out of 80 students, 35 students scored more than 150 on Fischer’s readiness scale, while 45 scored less than 150, indicating that only 43.75% of students were ready for SDL, while the majority (56.25%) were not ready (vide Fig. 1). The mean score for SDL readiness was 140.07. The median score was 143.

The mean SM score was 41.25, and the median score was 41: 68%, 66%, and 72%.

The mean score for desire for learning (DL) was 42.95, and the median score was 44.

The mean self-control (SC) score was 54.35 and the median score was 54 (vide Fig. 2).

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Discussion

The present study aimed to assess the readiness for SDL among first-year MBBS students using Fisher’s SDLRS. According to Fisher et al (2001), scores higher than 150 mean that a student is highly ready for SDL, while scores less than 150 mean low SDL readiness among students (Fisher et al., 2001). In our study, 43.75% of the first-year medical students were found to be ready for self-directed learning with an SDLRS score >150%, and 56.25% were not ready since their score was <150. The mean score for SDL readiness was 140.07. The median score was 143, and the mode was 168. The highest score is 191, and the lowest score is 92.

The observation was in congruence with a study conducted by Manjunath et al. (2024) among first-year medical undergraduates at Government Medical College, Kannur. They reported 46% of participants scoring above 150% and 54% below 150 (Manjunath et al. 2024). Similarly, Kar et al. (2014) observed that 30% of the fifth-semester MBBS students in south India, scored high readiness for SDL (>150 score), and the mean total SDLRS score was 140.4.

Table 2. SDLRS scores of first-year MBBS students.

Unlike our study, Sachdeva and Mahajan (2022) reported that 73% of students had shown great SDL readiness in a study conducted in Amritsar in 2022 (Sachdeva and Mahajan 2022). This is a higher score than our study.

Variations in the SDLRS scores may be multifactorial, such as differences in learning behavior, personal qualities, demographic socio-economic backgrounds, and so on of the participants.

Kumar et al. (2021) reported the average score for SDLR to be 137.07 with a minimum score of 99 and a maximum score of 185, in research done among three consecutive batches of MBBS students during the first month after their admission in a medical college of Tamil Nadu (Kumar et al., 2021).

In our study, the mean SM score was observed to be 41.25, the median score was 41, and the mode was 35. The mean score for DL was 42.95, the median score was 44, and the mode was 36. The mean SC score was 54.35, the median score was 54, and the mode was 60.

Fig. 1. SDLRS scores.

Fig. 2. Mean scores for subcategories.

The subscale SC revealed a higher mean score compared to other subscales of SDLRS, i.e., DL and SM. The results were consistent with previous research (Abraham et al., 2011; Manjunath et al., 2024). In some studies, the mean subscale score was highest for DL, followed by SC and SM (Abraham et al., 2011; Kumar et al., 2021). This signifies that the students participating in our research are capable of setting their own learning goals and making decisions themselves and had high personal standards and expectations. Their desire for learning was satisfactory, but their self-management needed improvement. This means that the learners should be guided to identify their own educational needs, learning goals, and time management.

The mentorship program, which is newly introduced in Indian medical education, can play a crucial role in fulfilling this need, providing support and guidance to students in achieving their learning objectives (Bhatia et al., 2013; Kukreja et al., 2017).

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Conclusion

The present study assessed the readiness for SDL among first-year MBBS students using Fisher’s SDLRS. The majority of the eighty first-year medical students (56.25%) were not ready for self-directed learning, and 43.75% of the students were ready. Our study threw light on the fact that despite having a high desire for learning and ability of SC, students need to be supported in their SM skills. They should be guided in managing their time, resources, and strategies effectively so that their self-directed learning readiness improves and they become successful life-long learners.

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Acknowledgments

We are thankful to the faculty and staff of the Department of Anatomy, Calcutta National Medical College, and the students who participated in the study.

Conflict of interest

None.

Funding

No funds received from any source.

Authors’ contributions

Both the authors have contributed in the concept and design of the study, analysis, and interpretation of data. The corresponding author is responsible for drafting and revising the manuscript. Final approval for the version, which is going to be published, is done by both authors.

Data availability

The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article [and/or] its supplementary materials.

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