Self-directed learning efforts of learning-oriented registered nurses
Date
1980
Authors
Falconer, Lloy Elizabeth Ann
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between learning-oriented adults and their self-directed learning efforts. A self-directed learning effort was defined as a series of related episodes totalling a minimum of seven hours within a specific six-month period, during which the major purpose was to learn. A particular focus was the use of different types of planners of self-directed activities-the learner-as planner, the group-as-planner, an instructor in a one-to-one relationship, and an inanimate object or non-human resource as planner.
Subjects were twelve Registered Nurses identified by Boshier's Education Participation Scale as having a learning orientation. Eleven of these women were interviewed in small groups of two and three for approximately one hour, and one woman was interviewed on an individual basis for approximately the same length of time. The group interview technique was extremely effective in eliciting needed data.
The rank order use of planner categories was similar to that reported in earlier research. That is, the learner-as-planner category contained the highest rate of participation, the group-as-planner category was second, the one-to-one relationship was third, and finally the non-human resource as planner. However, the data indicated that the learning-oriented professional women relied somewhat more heavily on the group-as-planner and less heavily on the learner-as-planner than did the population as a whole.
The typical learning-oriented professional woman devoted 618 hours to self-directed learning within a six-month period, or 25.8 hours per week, and participated in 10.3 self-directed learning efforts in that same time period. This time constituted approximately five hours more per week devoted to self-directed learning than other previously studied groups of professionals and close to twice as many actual self-directed learning efforts. A test of specific hypotheses suggested that the learning-oriented subjects in this study used planner categories in a significantly different way than previously studied self-directed learners.
Vocational subject matter accounted for 27.4% of the self-directed learning efforts and the hobbies and recreation subject matter category was next with 25% of the self-directed learning efforts.
The learning-oriented professional women suggested that satisfaction previously felt by participating in a specific planner category had motivated, or was then motivating them, to participate in that same planner category.
It was recommended that the learning activities of learning-oriented adults and the natural inclination of adults to share their excitement about learning be examined further by educational institutions and professional organizations.