Self Directed Learning Research

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING AND STUDENTS’ LEVEL OF COMPETENCIES: A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF HIGHER TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS IN NEPAL

Hari Prasad Nepal

A Thesis Proposal

Submitted to

School of Education

Kathmandu University Lalitpur, Nepal

September, 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I 1

INTRODUCTION 1

Problem Statement 6

Purpose of Study 7

Research Questions 7

Hypotheses 8

Rationale of the Study 8

Definition of Terms 10

Organization of the Study 12

Chapter Essence 13

CHAPTER II 13

LITERATURE REVIEW 13

Understanding Competencies 14

Self-Directed Learning 16

Theoretical Review 19

Plutarch central message in this is learners should set on fire in their own control and take responsibility for learning. As a student of curriculum and instruction, I have confidence that the ultimate goal of education should be to cultivate students as self-directed learners. Only, a self-directed learner can meta-cognitively engage in their own learning. An attempt of learners to analyzing their needs, setting goals for learning, arranging learning resources, selecting suitable learning strategies and assessing outcomes is known as a self-directed learning (Hiemstra, 1994). Generally, self-directed learning strategies are aimed to improve and reform customary educational practices in order to better prepare students to be effective workers and citizens in the future (Kerka,

As quoted earlier, it has been further driven by the development and access of the information technology tools, which was initially designed for only communication. Later on, it is widely used in formal and informal learning process. In this context, I have failed to locate any research that raises this issue to investigate in the higher technical education of Nepal. I came to conclude that, a little attention is given to the self-directed learning matter in higher technical education. But there are some research works in the global perspectives by Zimmerman, Hiemestra, Chen and Theunissen, who had explored the issue from different perspectives. For instance, Chen has found the positive relationship between information technology and education with a positive impact on performance (Chen & Looi, 1999). Similarly, Theunissen and Stubbe also considered the self-directed learning and competencies of students and found a positive relationship in skills (Theunissen & Stubbe, 2014). But, there is a lack of documented reports and research work on the self-directed learning strategies and higher technical education