Term describing an adult’s ability to engage in SDL. Guglielmino (1977) identified eight factors necessary for SDLR:, (a) openness to learning, (b) self-concept as an effective learner, (c) initiative and independence in learning, (d) informed acceptance of responsibility for one’s own learning, (e) love of learning, (f) creativity, (g) positive orientation to the future, and (h) ability to use basic study skills and problem-solving skills. Because there are different definitions of this construct, for the purposes of the study, Guglielmino’s definition was used.
Published in Chapter:
Self-Directed Learning in Family Medicine
Theresa J. Barrett (New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians, USA)
Copyright: © 2014
|Pages: 23
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-6260-5.ch009
Abstract
Self-directed learners are able to recognize their learning needs, set their learning goals, identify the resources necessary to accomplish those goals, implement learning strategies, and evaluate the results of their efforts (Brockett & Hiemstra, 1991). Self-directedness is a skill that many adult learners possess. In an age when biomedical knowledge is increasing at a pace never before seen in human history, being a self-directed learner is not just a necessary skill, it is a critical one for family physicians. This chapter provides a brief overview of several self-directed learning models and the characteristics of self-directed learners, discusses self-directed learning in the context of continuing medical education, and provides an assessment of family physicians as self-directed learners.