Readiness for self-directed learning: How bridging and traditional nursing students differs?

Abstract

Background: The dean of the nursing college has an initiative to reform the BSN program in the college to minimize the use of lecturing and maximize interactive and lifelong learning. Appropriate assessment of how our students are prepared to be self-directed learners is crucial.

Objective: To compare traditional and bridging students in regard to their SDLR scores in the nursing college in Saudi Arabia.

Design: This was a comparative study to compare traditional and bridging students in regard to their self-directed learning readiness scores (SDLR).

Settings: The data was collected at the Nursing College, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Participants: A convenient sample of undergraduate nursing students at the sixth and eighth levels in both regular and bridging programs were recruited in this study to indicate their SDLR scores.

Methods: The study used Fisher et al.'s (2001) Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale to measure the self-directed learning readiness among undergraduate nursing students.

Results: The total mean score of SDLR was 144 out of 200, which indicated a low level of readiness for SDL. There were significant variations between the included academic levels among participants. Students in the sixth academic level scored higher in the total SDLR scores compared to eighth-level students. There were no significant variations with gender and program types in the total SDLR scores.

Conclusions: A comprehensive plan is needed to prepare both faculty members and students to improve the SDL skills.

Keywords: Nursing education program types; Saudi Arabia; Self-directed learning; Undergraduate nursing students.