Self-culture

This study was designed to examine self-directed learning readiness of volunteer
community leaders and to determine if and how they used self-directed learning in their
community leadership roles. The sample included volunteer community leaders in South
Florida serving as board members in community leadership organizations and Rotarians
serving in leadership roles in the Rotary District 6990. The results support the conclusion that community leaders are self-directed
learners. They make extensive use of learning projects in their community leadership
roles, use a variety of learning methods, and have a need for ongoing learning.
The study suggests that designers of training for community leaders might find it
valuable to reevaluate and update traditional training programs, utilize or support the
identified key methods of learning and recognize that training needs to be applicable,
cutting edge, and go beyond local boundaries.

This study extends and partially replicates an investigation by David W. Courtney, titled The Self-Examination: A Learning Methodology, conducted in 1974 with two groups of students enrolled in an interdisciplinary art course. The original study was adapted to an art appreciation course. The purpose of this study was to reexamine the efficacy of the self-examination (SE) to promote creative thinking and aesthetic perception as well as a favorable student attitude toward the course. The study was conducted with two groups of students enrolled in an art appreciation course at Palm Beach Community College North in the Fall semester of 1989. The experimental group wrote two SEs and the control group wrote one comparison paper and took a multiple-choice examination. Both groups also took multiple-choice quizzes and final examinations. Pretest-posttest analyses of the test for creativity and aesthetic perception, using t-tests, and of the course evaluation, using multivariate tests of significance, indicated no significant difference between the experimental and control groups.

The purpose of this study was to correlate readiness for self-directed learning with validated indices of personality type, determine which of these indices are significantly related with readiness for self-directed learning, and then predict readiness for self-directed learning from personality type. This study used the MBTI Form-M and SDLRS Form-A to assess personality type and readiness for self-directed learning. The null hypothesis of no significant correlation between any of the eight-indicator scale scores on the MBTI and SDLRS total score was rejected. The scale indicators of Extroversion (E), Introversion (I), Judging (J), and Perceiving (P) were all significantly related to SMRS scores. Extroversion (E) and Judging (J) were positively related to SMRS scores at the p < .01 level of significance. Introversion (I) and Perceiving (P) were negatively related to SDLRS scores at the p < .01 level of significance. The null hypothesis that none of the eight scale indicators of the MBTI would be a significant predictor of readiness for self-directed learning was rejected. The ANOVA comparisons showed that Extroversion (E) and Judging (J) were significant and should be retained as part of the regression model. Extroversion (E) was significant at the p < .003 level of significance. Judging (J) was significant at the p < .008 level of significance. The multiple regression model that included both Extroversion (E) and Judging (J) as independent variables to predict readiness for self-directed learning was significant at the p < .000 level of significance. The predictor variables that were used in the regression model accounted for 25.1% of the variance in SDLRS scores with and adjusted R-square value of .251. The demographic profile of the students in the ORM program suggested that these learners are a full standard deviation above the norm of adults in the United States on their SDLRS total score. Consequently, further research is needed to support or refute the relationship between personality and self-directed learning.

The purpose of this qualitative research, which utilized a narrative design strategy, was to describe the process of self-regulation of a child who has bilateral cochlear implants within the social environment of school. The study investigated the use of self-regulatory strategies by the cochlear implant recipient. It also examined how the child made modifications and monitored learning during activities within the classroom as related to Vygotsky's activity theory and John Dewey's theory of social control. Through data collection of documents, observations, interviews, and researcher field notes, it was found that the child demonstrated several self-regulatory strategies.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the self-directed learning (SDL) readiness of third-year medical students in comparison to previously reported scores for the general population; the relationship between SDL readiness and knowledge-based and performance-based measures of success in a medical school using an integrated medical curriculum; and to determine if knowledge-based and performance-based measures of success are significant in predicting Self-Directed Learning Readiness Survey/Learner Preference Assessment (SDLRS/LPA) and National Board of Medical Examiners Family Medicine Shelf Examination (NBME-FM) scores. This study analyzed SDLRS/LPA scores, knowledge-based scores (NBME-FM), performance-based scores (Objective Structured Clinical Examination [OSCE] and preceptor rating), and a combination of knowledge-based and performance-based scores (final grade). Analyses of 873 students resulted in mean scores of 229.06 + 23.19 for the SDLRS/LPA. Correlations were significant (p < .05) for SDLRS/LPA scores to NBME-FM scores (r = .073, p < .05). OSCE scores (r = .133, p < .01), and final grade (r = .138, p < .01). Regression analysis revealed that the total model of NBME-FM, OSC AVG, and preceptor rating predicted 2.1% of the variation in SDLRS/LPA, which was significant (p < .01). Regression analysis revealed that SDLRS/LPA, OSC AVG and preceptor ratings predicted 9.7% of the variance in NBME-FM, which was significant (p < .001). The results support previous findings that medical students' levels of SDL readiness are higher than the general population mean of 214.0 + 23.49.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between experiential learning and self-directed learning readiness of bachelor's and master's level social work students. A quantitative design was utilized. The study consisted of 115 senior social work students and 70 master's level social work students (separated into three student groups) from a state university. Students participated in a one-semester field education component as part of their social work degree program. The research instrument utilized was the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) constructed by Guglielmino (1978). The SDLRS is a self-report questionnaire with 58 Likert scale items designed to measure the attitudes, values and abilities of learners relating to their readiness to engage in self-directed learning. A pretest, treatment, posttest design was utilized. Demographic data were collected with the pretest administration and level of satisfaction information was collected with the posttest administration. The bachelor's level social work students demonstrated statistically significant differences in the pre and posttest SDLRS scores while the master's level social work students' changes in readiness for self-directed learning were not significant. It is important to note that the master's level social work students spent only half the amount of hours in the field education as the bachelor's level students at the time of the posttest. Correlations between change score from pretest to posttest SDLRS with students' previous exposure to the field of social work, prior experiential learning in a social work program, their satisfaction with the experiential learning component, and demographic factors of gender, age, ethnicity, marital status, number of children, and number of years pursuing degree were not significant.