Relationship between Educational Environment and Self-Directed Learning in Nursing Student in COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a stressful teaching and learning environment that puts it out of its dynamic state and puts most of the learning burden on the student. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between educational environment and self-directed learning in undergraduate nursing students.

In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 200 undergraduate nursing students of Birjand School of Nursing and Midwifery from different terms were studied by available sampling method in the year 1401-1400. DREEM and CHENG online questionnaires were used to evaluate the educational environment and self-directed learning, respectively. The questionnaires were analyzed by SPSS20.

The mean score of educational environment (120.20 ± 27.20) and self-directed learning (75.85 ± 11.73) was obtained. The results of this study showed that there is a direct and significant linear relationship between educational environment and all its dimensions with self-directed learning and all its dimensions (p <0.05). Also, the educational environment was significantly associated with gender and interest in the nursing and self-directed learning with interest in the nursing (p <0.05). Multiple linear regression test showed that the dimensions of the educational environment can predict to 23% (adjusted R2 = 0.232) of self-directed learning changes in nursing students.

According to the results of the study and the sensitivities of the nursing profession, it is recommended to consider self-directed training programs and workshops and to create an educational environment that stimulates this skill.