Assessment of reliability and adaptation of fisher's 52-item self-directed learning readiness scale among medical students in Southern India

Background: The concept of self-directedness is defined by the active participation of students in all phases of learning, from framing the learning objectives to the assessment process. Various scales have been developed to measure self-directed learning (SDL) among students. Fishers' SDL readiness scale (SDLRS) was validated among nursing students. The present study assessed the reliability of Fisher's SDLRS among medical students in India. Factor analysis was carried out to reduce the total number of items in the scale. Materials and Methods: The SDLRS used in the study consisted of 52 items classified under three domains. The scale was administered to a sample of 367 medical students between the first and seventh semesters. Cronbach's alpha was used to measure the reliability of the scale. For item-reduction and further abridgment, factor analysis was done using principal component analysis. Results: Cronbach's alpha was found to be 0.93 for Fisher's 52-item scale. Satisfactory reliability was observed across each domain (≥0.7). Factor analysis enabled the reduction of scale to 29 items with three domains. Conclusion: Fisher's 52-item SDLRS is a reliable scale for use among medical students in India. We propose the use of a reliable and shortened 29-item scale.