Readiness for Self-directed Learning among Undergraduate Medical Students of Northern India

Aim: Medical students are expected to possess lifelong learning skills to keep themselves updated with the continuous advances in the field of medicine. This study was undertaken to assess the readiness for self-directed learning (SDL) among undergraduate medical students and to see the effect of strategies implemented to do so. Materials and methods: Assessment of readiness for SDL was done among undergraduate medical students of the 2018 batch and the 2019 batches using the 29-item self-directed learning readiness scale (SDLRS) questionnaire covering three major domains, namely, "self-management, " "desire for learning, " and "self-control. " Data management and analysis were done by using Microsoft Excel and IBM SPSS, version 20, software. Mann-Whitney U was applied and p <0.05 was considered as a statistically significant result in the inferential statistics. Results: The total of 295 students participated in the study, 148 from the 2018 batch and 147 from the 2019 batch. The median for overall SDL readiness was 4 (3-4) for the 2019 batch, whereas it was 3 (3-4) for the 2018 batch. The self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) across all three domains of self-management, self-control, and desire for learning was significantly lower for the 2018 batch than that of the 2019 batch of students (p <0.001). Conclusion: A statistically significant difference was observed in the readiness for SDL between the 2019 batch and the 2018 batch. The reason identified was the use of various teaching modalities to impart SDL skills to the 2019 batch. Significance: The study emphasizes that SDL in medical courses is helpful to promote lifelong learning skills for medical students.