Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram showing the study selection process for the systematic review and meta-analysis of self-directed learning in health professions education. The diagram illustrates the identification, screening, eligibility assessment, and inclusion phases, documenting reasons for exclusion at each stage.
Table 1
Characteristics of studies included in a systematic review and meta-analysis of self-directed learning in health professions education (n = 125).
| CHARACTERISTIC | N (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Kirkpatrick | Level 2 | 98 (78%) |
| Level 3 | 27 (22%) | |
| Level 4 | 0 (0%) | |
| Study Type | Randomized Controlled Trial | 91 (73%) |
| Non-Randomized Experimental | 17 (14%) | |
| Quasi-Experimental | 14 (11%) | |
| Other | 3 (2%) | |
| Country | Other | 38 (30%) |
| United States | 34 (27%) | |
| Germany | 10 (8%) | |
| India | 10 (8%) | |
| Canada | 8 (6%) | |
| Australia | 6 (5%) | |
| China | 6 (5%) | |
| Denmark | 4 (3%) | |
| South Korea | 4 (3%) | |
| United Kingdom | 3 (2%) | |
| Learner Type | Medicine | 94 (75%) |
| Nursing | 15 (12%) | |
| Dentistry | 7 (6%) | |
| Other | 6 (5%) | |
| Pharmacy | 3 (2%) | |
| SDL Modalities | Textbook or Other Written Material | 45 (36%) |
| Other | 43 (34%) | |
| Virtual Reality, Computer Simulation, or Physical Simulator | 39 (31%) | |
| Video | 34 (27%) | |
| Online Module or Computer Module | 32 (26%) | |
| Real Patient Encounter | 4 (3%) | |
| Teacher Role | Absent | 77 (62%) |
| Facilitator | 39 (31%) | |
| Content Source | 9 (7%) | |
| Learner Involved in Choosing Resources? | No | 99 (79%) |
| Yes | 22 (18%) | |
| Learner Involved in Assessment? | No | 94 (75%) |
| Yes | 31 (25%) |
Figure 2
A funnel plot of the 74 effect sizes included in the meta-analysis on self-directed learning in health professions education.
Table 2
Moderator analysis results.
| SUBGROUP/DOMAIN | EFFECT SIZES (n) | STUDIES (k) | COHEN'S d | 95% CI | r | F | df | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professions | 1.1 | 3, 70 | 0.354 | |||||
| Medicine | 30 | 47 | 0.27 | [–0.11, 0.64] | 0.26 | |||
| Nursing | 9 | 17 | 0.19 | [–0.49, 0.88] | 0.19 | |||
| Dental | 4 | 4 | 1.26 | [0.20, 2.32] | 0.85 | |||
| Others | 5 | 6 | 0.36 | [–0.58, 1.30] | 0.35 | |||
| SDL as experiment | 8.77 | 1, 72 | 0.004 | |||||
| Control | 19 | 13 | –0.27 | [–0.75, 0.22] | –0.26 | |||
| Experiment | 55 | 36 | 0.54 | [0.24, 0.84] | 0.50 | |||
| Outcome | 1.47 | 2, 71 | 0.237 | |||||
| Test scores | 44 | 30 | 0.50 | [0.15, 0.85] | 0.46 | |||
| Clinical performance | 26 | 21 | 0.08 | [–0.33, 0.50] | 0.08 | |||
| Behavioral outcomes | 4 | 3 | 0.23 | [–0.67, 1.12] | 0.22 | |||
| SDL modality | 0.16 | 4, 69 | 0.759 | |||||
| Textbook or other written material | 13 | 8 | 0.33 | [–0.42, 1.08] | 0.32 | |||
| Video | 12 | 11 | 0.17 | [–0.50, 0.83] | 0.16 | |||
| Online module or computer module | 22 | 13 | 0.57 | [–0.019, 1.161] | 0.52 | |||
| Virtual reality | 22 | 12 | 0.13 | [–0.48, 0.74] | 0.13 | |||
| Others | 5 | 4 | 0.72 | [–0.35, 1.79] | 0.62 | |||
| Teacher role | 0.56 | 2, 71 | 0.574 | |||||
| Absent | 48 | 30 | 0.28 | [–0.11, 0.66] | 0.27 | |||
| Facilitator | 23 | 15 | 0.54 | [0.004, 1.083] | 0.50 | |||
| Content source | 3 | 3 | –0.07 | [–1.29, 1.15] | –0.07 |
Figure 3
Forest plot of effect sizes by moderators.