Evaluating self-directed learning abilities as a prerequisite of health literacy among older people: Findings from a validation and a cross-sectional study

Association of learning environment and self-directed learning ability among nursing undergraduates: a cross-sectional study using canonical correlation analysis

OBJECTIVES

This study explores the relationship between the perception of the learning environment and self-directed learning (SDL) ability among nursing undergraduates.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in December 2020 with 1096 junior and senior undergraduate nursing students (aged 16-22) from Wannan Medical College in Anhui Province, China.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The Chinese version of the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure questionnaire and a validated Chinese version of college students' SDL ability scale were used to assess students' perceptions about their learning environment and their SDL ability. Canonical correlation analysis was performed to evaluate their correlation.

RESULTS

The total score for the learning environment was 120.60 (scoring rate: 60.30%), and the score for SDL ability was 89.25 (scoring rate: 63.75%). Analysis indicated that the first canonical correlation coefficient was 0.701 and the contribution rate was 94.26%. The perception of the learning environment was mainly determined by students' perception of learning (SPL) and academic self-perceptions (SASP), with SDL ability mainly determined by self-management ability and cooperative learning ability. SPL and SASP were positively correlated with self-management ability and cooperative learning ability. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that SPL, SASP, students' perceptions of atmosphere and students' social self-perceptions had a significant impact on SDL ability.

CONCLUSIONS

The SDL ability of nursing undergraduates was not high. SPL and SASP were positively correlated with self-management ability and cooperative learning ability. Nursing educators can improve students' SDL ability by changing their learning environment, using, for example, new student-centred teaching methods.

Validation of Internal structure of Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale among Indian Medical Students using factor analysis and the Structural equation Modelling Approach

BACKGROUND

The Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) is a tool that helps in the assessment of the readiness of the students to pursue Self-Directed Learning (SDL). There are no documented studies on the validation of internal structure of the SDLRS among Indian medical students. Hence, the objective of this study is to validate the internal structure of SDLRS among Indian medical students using factor analysis and the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach.

METHODS

We administered Fisher's 40-item SDLRS to 750 students after receiving the ethics clearance and the author's permission and taking written informed consent from all the study participants (response rate: 92%). The exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and Cronbach's alpha were performed using SPSS version 25 and the Lavaan package of R version 3.1.2.

RESULTS

The values of the comparative fit index (CFI), standardised root-mean-square residual (SRMR), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) were ≥ 0.9, ≤ 0.08, and ≤ 0.08, respectively, for a model fit to be acceptable. EFA showed that except for Q2 (loading score: 0.210), Q12 (loading score: 0.384), Q13 (loading score: 0.362), and Q25 (loading score: -0.219), all the items loaded well. After the exclusion of the aforementioned items, the factor loading scores for the items in the self-management, desire for learning, and self-control factors ranged from 0.405 to 0.753 (Cronbach α: 0.775), 0.396 to 0.616 (Cronbach α: 0.730), and 0.427 to 0.556 (Cronbach α: 0.799), respectively. The updated model was used for CFA, which displayed a good model fit.

CONCLUSIONS

The resultant model consisting of 36 items is shown to have internal structure validity for Indian version of SDLRS, which can be used to assess medical students.

Development Strategies in the Field of Lifelong Learning of Older Adults

Introduction: European gerontological research confirms that accelerated aging of the population will lead to a pronounced occurrence of target groups of functionally capable older people. Lifelong learning is a tool that enables an active post-retirement period in order to enhance cognitive mental capacities, prevent dementia, and overcome the intergenerational gap. The aim of this paper is to develop strategies in the field of lifelong learning for older adults through SWOT analysis.

Methods: A qualitative study on lifelong learning for older adults was conducted during the month of November 2019 using 4 SWOT matrices which were subsequently analyzed and integrated into one common matrix. Four strategies were developed based on this template.

Results: The analysis of the SWOT matrix showed that lifelong learning contributes most to a sense of belonging, prevention of social isolation, prevention of dementia, and better personal satisfaction. The biggest obstacles for older people when it comes to participating in lifelong learning programs are finances, physical illness, and a lack of understanding from their family members and the wider society for this kind of activity.

Discussion: Lifelong learning contributes to a long-term maintenance of cognitive processes of participants involved in education processes. Lifelong learning provides the opportunity to promote older people’s health regardless of the formal education they received in early adulthood.

Conclusion: Learning and further education are not only the indicators of active aging, but also a need for older people to master new tools so that they can actively participate and contribute to the society.