Fostering Self-Directed Learning in Higher Education: The Efficacy of Guided Learning Approach among First-Year University Students in Malaysia

Abstract

The present study investigates the efficacy of the guided learning approach in promoting self-directedness among first-year, first-semester university students in Malaysia. Based on a sample of 37 participants, this study employs the SECI (Socialization, Externalization, Combination, and Internalization) Model as a theoretical framework to examine the transfer of knowledge between the lecturer and students, as well as among students. Using an SDL (Self-Directed Learning) Questionnaire, the study assesses the students' level of self-directed learning in the early stages of the semester and then again following the implementation of the guided learning approach throughout the remainder of the semester. The results of this study reveal that the guided learning approach has a substantial positive impact on students' self-directedness, with 94.59% of the participants exhibiting an increase in their SDL level by the end of the semester. These findings reinforce the notion that a guided learning approach is crucial in fostering self-directedness among first-year, first-semester university students in Malaysia and, more broadly, highlight the importance of fostering self-directed learning in higher education.