Medical students' strategies for self-directed learning

Abstract

This study examined personality factors and perceived benefits associated with different strategies of medical students in regard to self-directed learning projects. Subjects were freshman and sophomore medical students in a segment of Introduction to Clinical Medicine that used contract learning to provide experience in designing and conducting self-directed learning. Discriminant function analysis was conducted to identify personality traits, as measured by the Omnibus Personality Inventory and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, which were associated with different types of overall strategies of these participants in self-directed learning. The findings indicated that certain personality attributes are predictive of the type of strategy. Further examination revealed that when students pursued a strategy for self-directed learning which was inconsistent with the personality traits most commonly associated with that strategy, they perceived the experience as less beneficial. These findings have implications for educators who wish to use learner-directed learning experiences as a means for encouraging and developing lifelong learning habits of students in the health professions.