Longitudinal Investigation of Nursing Students’ Self-Directed Learning Readiness and Locus of Control Levels in Problem-Based Learning Approach

The study was conducted to observe changes in nursing students’ Self-Directed Learning Readiness (SDLR) scores and Locus of Control (LOC) scores during their four-year education with the PBL approach and to determine the relationship between SDLR and LOC. The sample included 47 students. Data were collected with LOC and SDLR scales. When the students’ four-year scores were compared, a significant difference was observed between SDLR scores and LOC scores. In both scales, the nursing students’ second and third-year scores increased significantly compared to their first-year scores whereas their fourth-year scores decreased. There was a negative weak correlation between the SDLR scores and LOC scores of the students in every year. Both the SDLR scores and LOC scores decreased in the fourth-year students because the students spent a large part of their time on clinical education. Therefore, it might be proposed that fourth-year curriculum should include topics which might help them cope with stressors associated with issues such as individual development and job finding.

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