Effectiveness of Self-Directed Learning in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background Self-Directed Learning (SDL) is a theory of andragogy in which adult learners take their own initiative to identify and tailor their individual learning process and outcomes. In undergraduate medical education, SDL aims to develop medical students into lifelong learners. This study aims to estimate the overall effectiveness of self-directed learning compared to traditional didactic learning. Methods We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis according to the PRISMA statement. A systematic search was used across PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Google Scholar to identify peer-reviewed articles spanning from inception through September 2023. Key words used were “self-directed learning” AND “undergraduate medical education.” Forest plots were generated with the Open Meta-analyst Software, comparing SDL and traditional didactic learning (TDL). Results A total of 509 articles were screened for eligibility, of which 95 articles met the eligibility criteria for full-text review. Following a more detailed screening, 7 articles met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review and 9 articles for the meta-analysis. The systematic review analyzed 2,772 students while the meta-analysis included 1,317 students. The pooled analysis for all studies demonstrates that SDL had a mean score of 1.91 [95% CI (0.75–3.06)] higher than TDL. Conclusions Self-directed learning is an effective learning strategy in medical undergraduate education and has the potential to aid in students’ learning and improve their cognitive performance.