Horizon of Medical Education Development

Horizon of Medical Education Development

The Relationship Between Self-Directed Learning and Academic Motivation in Nursing, Midwifery, and Paramedical Students

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Hamidreza Zeraatkhah 1
Mohammad-Mahdi Allahpanah 2
Leyla Ghanbari-Afra 3
Hakimeh Dehghani 4
1 Trauma Nursing Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
2 Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Qom University of Medical Sciences Qom. Iran.
3 Department of critical care nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Qom University of Medical Sciences. Qom. Iran.
4 Community Health Group, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Qom University of Medical Science. Qom. Iran.
10.22038/hmed.2025.84634.1452
Abstract
Introduction: In the medical professions, self-directed learning skills are of paramount importance due to their association with lifelong learning. For learning to be effective, motivation is a crucial and essential factor. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between self-directed learning and academic motivation among nursing, midwifery, and paramedical students.
Materials & Methods: The present study was conducted as a correlational analysis involving 160 nursing, midwifery, and paramedical students at Qom University of Medical Sciences in 2024. A stratified sampling method was employed, ensuring proportional representation based on the number of students in each discipline. Data collection involved the use of a demographic information checklist, a self-directed learning scale, and an academic motivation scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 23, employing statistical tests including independent t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation, and both univariate and multivariate regression analyses. A significance level of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The average age of participants was 22.68 years (SD = 4.44). The mean scores for academic motivation and self-directed learning were 98.35 (SD = 8.66) and 77.60 (SD = 9.51), respectively. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between academic motivation and its dimensions with self-directed learning and its dimensions (r = 0.405, p = 0.001). According to the results of multiple regression analysis, the variables of field of study, family income, interest in the field, and academic motivation accounted for 55% of the variance in self-directed learning among nursing, midwifery, and paramedical students (R = 0.550, R² = 0.302, Adj R Square = 0.271, p = 0.001).
Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that enhancing academic motivation plays a key role in improving self-directed learning among nursing, midwifery, and paramedical students. Although self-directed learning levels are high among these students, their academic motivation is relatively low, which may hinder their ability to achieve better educational outcomes.

Acknowledgments: The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude and appreciation to the faculty members of the School of Nursing, Midwifery, and Paramedicine in Qom, Qom University of Medical Sciences, as well as to all students who participated in this study.

Availability of data and materials: The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Conflicts of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Consent for publication: Before completing the questionnaires, the purpose of the study was explained and consent was obtained. Finally, the final results were published without publishing any names.

Ethical approval and consent to participate:This study was performed after obtaining permission from the Research Council and the approval of the Ethics Committee of Qom University of Medical Sciences, number IR.MUQ.REC.1403.057, for project 3351 on 2024/06/11.After providing adequate explanations about the study goals and obtaining informed consent, individuals entered the study and were given the questionnaires.During and after the research, confidentiality and the privacy of individuals were respected, and their personal information was used only in this study.The results of this study were published honestly, accurately, and completely.The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki.

Funding: This research was financially supported by the Vice Presidency for Research and Technology of Qom University of Medical Sciences (Grant No. 3351.

Authors’ Contributions: The authors equally contributed to preparing this article.

Open Access Policy: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original author(s) and source are properly credited. To view a copy of this licence, visit.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Keywords
self-directed learning
academic motivation
paramedical students
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Horizon of Medical Education Development
Volume 17, Issue 2
Spring 2026
Pages 93-106