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Chapter 1

PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

The availability of information from a variety of sources has led to

significant changes in the ways that it is obtained and implemented in recent

years. The idea that information is unchangeable and that authorities have

access to accurate and complete information have thus been called into

question. Furthermore, the notion of learning as storing knowledge in discrete

compartments was replaced by a problem-oriented perspective that relies on

conceptualization, knowledge, and comprehension. As a result, understanding

how to learn has gained develop and the importance of retaining has decreased

as ideas of information and learning have changed. The individuals who

understand the art of learning are capable of organizing their own knowledge,

applying newly acquired knowledge to broader settings, overcoming obstacles,

and remaining adaptable to change.

Since the 1960s, self-directed learning has been implemented as an

acknowledged method of teaching in both classroom and experience

circumstances. It's a term that's frequently used to characterize a set of abilities

that those attending college should have. In contrast to a lecture-based

classroom where the educator sets the objectives, assigns the assessments, and

prepares the material, a self-directed learning setting is very different. The

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student establishes objectives, chooses how progress will be evaluated,

establishes a schedule, decides the format and order of activities, finds

resources, and asks for feedback while engaging in self-directed learning. It is

important to carefully scaffold and structure learning for those who are unfamiliar

with this paradigm in order to help them acquire the foundational soft skills that

they will require.

University students made up the study group, which could explain why the

students' average scores on self-directed learning skills were higher than the

median. Eventually, the concept of self-directed learning is related to adult

education that involves individuals' determination of their personal requirements

and objectives, as well as their capacity to customize their education accordingly.

This does not imply that highly customized learning is always carried out in

solitude during self-directed learning. In group learning environments, students

are free to work independently as long as they have chosen to do so because

they think it will best support their learning objectives. Because the study group

included the students, it's possible that their average scores for self-directed

learning skills were greater than the normal.

Background of the study

This study focus on Self-directed learning practices of Bachelor of

Science in Office Administration in University of Rizal System Binangonan

Campus. Based on what the researchers think weak study habits of the student
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initiative performance drastically. If a student does not have a good study habit,

this could be a reason for them to affect their competency. Competency is the

ability of an individual to do a job properly r the ability to do something

successfully or efficiently.

According to West. et al. (2014) in their study at Monash University report

that a few students withdraw from university study because of the difficulty of

combining study with family commitments and needs. Whatever is going on in a

student’s personal life, will inevitably affect what is going on in school, and vice

versa. A student needs time to be inn class, and appropriate time for study. Their

finding identify students effort, population in class, inadequate facilities, parents,

educational background, self-motivation of students, age of students, learning

preferences as important factors that effect on student’s initiative in different

setting. The utility of these studies lies in the need to undertake corrective

measure that Self-directed learning practices of the students.

The Australian Journal of Educational Technology (2016) asserts that

using a portfolio is one strategy to help students develop their abilities for self-

directed learning. The best application for portfolios is the direction of self-

directed learning and skill development Assessment at the curriculum level

should be in line with institutional learning objectives and learning process

instructional strategies. For example, collaborative assessment or an

asynchronous mix formative and summative assessment should be used in

assessment activities to support SDL. Finally, it is important that a portfolio aimed

at supporting SDL is actually equipped to do so. This means that it must facilitate
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goal-setting, task analysis, plan implementation, and self-evaluation. Training

and personal development portfolios are more likely to possess these qualities

than dossiers and reflective portfolios.

According to the study by Mohammad Nazarianpirdosti et al.(2021)entitled

Evaluation of Self-Directed Learning in Nursing Students: A Systematic Review

and Meta-Analysis, using the self-directed learning process can review and

improve the learning process of a student. Students should acquire self-directed

learning abilities for deeper and more enduring learning, as they are critical to the

success of learners in the nursing profession. Additionally, SDL is beneficial to

nursing education and is strongly linked to clinical competence, assertiveness

and accountability, professional competence and communicative self-efficacy,

and academic accomplishment. Their study shows that women have a higher

learning ability than men, and the reason for this difference in learning rate can

be attributed to factors such as learning strategies, time management, learning

motivation, and planning. It also showed that SDL in nursing students is at a

moderate level. In this regard, nursing professors need to teach SDL skills to

students through training courses before including them in the curriculum.

Through the use of problem-based and student-centered curriculum, the findings

of their study can be used to enhance the standard of teaching and the teaching

strategies of nursing professors. Since SDL is one of the main pillars of problem-

solving ability and plays a major role for nursing students, this type of learning

should be promoted.
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According to the discussion on the study of Bhandari et al.,(2020) entitled Self-

directed learning: assessment of students abilities and their perspective, they

observed that high achievers do well in SDL and the low achievers find it difficult

to cope with SDL. The possible explanation of low achiever is could be lack of

abilities like information gathering and information processing, analytic skills,

communication skills etc. Self-directed learners should develop their ability to

recognize and choose effective ways to get the information needed to answer

questions, design questions based on their curiosity, and then evaluate the

information to obtain meaningful responses. Maintaining consistency may be one

of the challenges the faculty faces because the students come from different

backgrounds and have different capacities for self-directed learning. In order to

address these problems, students and facilitators must collaborate to improve

students' SDL abilities, particularly in the areas of time management and

interpersonal communication. Additionally, the practice of writing reflections aids

in students' SDL development. Facilitators' and students' feedback might be used

to further improvise the process. In addition, students must to keep an eye on

their own academic development, pinpoint their areas of weakness, and work

toward personal growth. The facilitators' and the students' combined efforts might

help the students become self-sufficient, lifelong learners.

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Theoretical Framework

The foundation of this study is Boyatzis's (2022) theory of self-directed

learning, which describes how people learn and raises concerns on how they

could be assisted in doing so. It relies on the idea that each individual is capable

of managing their own education. The phases that a person goes through as a

self-directed learner are outlined in the theory. Boyatzis' notion of self-directed

learning is underappreciated and needs more attention in the student field.

Self-directed learning, as defined by renowned adult educator M. S.

Knowles (1975), is a process in which individuals take the initiative, with or

without assistance from others, to diagnose their learning needs, formulate

learning goals, identify resources for learning—both human and material—

choose and put into practice effective learning strategies, and assess learning

outcomes. Knowles points out a number of crucial elements of learning that are

self-directed as opposed to being overseen by others. He makes the case in this

definition that each person chooses how to meet their own learning objectives

and what kind of learning they require. Self-directed learners create their own

learning strategies and recognize the resources required for success. In this

situation, self-directed learners assess how well they met their personal learning

objectives as well. As an example, consider a self-directed student in an informal

situation who wishes to enhance his proficiency in writing and reading shorthand.

First of all, he took the initiative to study by reading the book ahead of time and

getting practice by watching online video lectures. The self-directed learner

continually assesses her own learning as a process.

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Through the research, we will be able to determine the extent of students'

familiarity with self-directed learning practices and their efficacy in terms of

motivation, performance, autonomy, self-confidence, and learning abilities.

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Conceptual Framework

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

1. Profile of the
respondents:  Formulation
 Determined
 Age and validation
 Sex Self-Directed
of
 Current learning
questionnaire
Year Level practices of
2. How much  Distribution of
Bachelor of
they know the
about Self- Science in
questionnaire
directed Office
learning  Analysis and
Administration
practices interpretation of
3. reasons to a in University of
the result data.
student's lack Rizal System
of initiative Binangonan
4. Possible
problems and Campus
difficulties
encountered
in learning
SDL
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FEEDBACK

Figure 1

A Paradigm on Self-Directed Learning Practices of Bachelor of Science in

Office Administration in the University of Rizal System Binangonan

Campus

Based on the concept presented the researchers came up with this

conceptual framework.

The conceptual framework consists of the input, process, and output. The first

frame represents the input which consists of the profile of the respondents in

terms of age, sex and current year level. How much do you know about Self-

directed learning practices .Reasons to a student's lack of initiative when it

comes to self-directed learning. The problems and difficulties encountered in

Self-directed Learning.
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Second frame shows the process that present how the respondents

gather data through the means of formulation of questionnaire, validation of

questionnaire, distribution and retrieval of questionnaire, analysis and

interpretation .

The third frame represents the output which consists of the determined

Self-Directed Learning practices of Bachelor of Science in Office Administration

in University Of Rizal System Binangonan Campus.

The feedback and the arrow represent the direct flow of the input, process,

and output which have a relationship with each other.

Statement of the Problem

This research aims to determine the Students initiative in starting to study

the Self-Directed Learning Practices of Bachelor Of Science in Office

Administration in the University of Rizal System in Binangonan Campus.

To answer the following research question:

1. What is the profile of the respondent in terms of

1.1. Age

1.2. Sex

1.3. Year Level

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2. How much do you know about Self-directed learning practices?

3. What are the main reasons to a student's lack of initiative when it comes to

self-directed learning?

o Lack of time

o Lack of Self-motivation and interest

o Learning only what they are interested in

4. What are the problems/difficulties encountered in Self-directed Learning?

Assumption

The foundation of the research study is the assumption that respondents

will be truthful in their responses to the questionnaires, which, once the

researchers have collected the data, will make the information legitimate and

dependable for correlation. Furthermore, the research study is thought to be

timely relevant for the respondents and will produce a conclusion that will provide

a foundation of knowledge for answering the topic.

Scope and Limitations

This study focuses on the Self-Directed Learning Practices of Bachelor of

Science in Office Administration in University of Rizal System in Binangonan

Campus. The data collection will be directed to all student’s grade level of

Bachelor of Science in Office Administration in University of Rizal System in

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Binangonan Campus S/Y 2023-2024 who will represent the population. This

study will discover the students' initiative in starting to study by themselves

without the help of others using their own understanding ideas, necessary

resources and strategies. Similar questionnaires are given to each respondent to

complete. The results of this study will be relevant not only to the respondents of

this study but to all students who have initiative and will begin to learn on their

own for them to develop their social, collaborative, management, and research

skills. The researchers' questionnaire will serve as the primary source of data.

Significance of the Study

This research would be advantageous to the students because enables

individuals to improve their self-confidence, autonomy, motivation and lifelong

learning skills turns learners into active participants in the learning process and

encourages them to become deep learners.in this study the ability to take

responsibility for determining one's own learning needs and they can decide how

they want to reach knowledge. At the same time, they can understand the nature

of knowledge instead of memorizing it. They can easily focuses on knowledge

and skills needed by everyone regardless of age. This learning approach

increases the motivation of the students to learn since they are makers of their

own knowledge. They experience a sense of independence while learning apply

it along with their skills to find solutions to their problems that evolve in learning

and be encouraged. The ability for the students to take the initiative to

acknowledge their own learning needs, goals, and the sources of information
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they need to learn is known as self-directed learning in its the broadest definition.

This research would be beneficial to the future researcher because they can get

information that might needed in their research and some of their question may

possibly be answered by this research.

Definition of Terms

The following terms used in the study are defined conceptually and/or

operationally by the researchers to ensure clarity and a better understanding of

the study:

Learning Practices- It refers to a supervised and structured to enable progress

towards learning outcomes and usually involves assessment of the learner.

Bachelor of Science in Office Administration (BSOA)- It refers to a four-year

curriculum designed to educate students on the business and office management

skills and knowledge necessary for variety of jobs.

Initiative- It is the ability to be resourceful and work without always being told

what to do

Corellation- It refers to describe the size and direction of a relationship between

two or more variables Altered. It refers to describes anything that's been changed

or modified.

Pedagony- It refers to a formed by an educator's teaching beliefs and concerns

the interplay between culture and different ways to learn.

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Experiential Setting- It refers to allow the user to set various aspects of the

experiment in what information is gathered about the subject and determine what

outputs or the data files will be generated.

Scafflod- It refers to a method where teachers offer a particular kind of support

to students as they learn and develop a new concept or skill.

Autonomy- It is the ability to make your own decisions without being controlled

by anyone else.

Paradigm- Refers to a standard, perspective, or set of ideas, clear and typical

example of something.

Inevitably- It refers in a way that cannot be avoided or escaped; as will certainly

or necessarily happen and as is to be expected.

Chapter 2

METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH AND SOURCES OF DATA

Research Method

This research used the descriptive type of method in gathering data which

is necessary for the completion of data analysis. Descriptive research aims to

accurately and systematically describe a population, situation, or phenomenon. It

can answer, who, what, where, when, and how questions, but not why questions,

and can use a wide variety of research methods to investigate one or more
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variables. The term descriptive research refers to the types of research question,

design, and data analysis that will be applied to a given topic. The research used

a descriptive method of research as it aimed to determine the Self- Directed

Learning Practices of Bachelor of Science Office Administration Students at

University of Rizal System.

Setting of the Study

The study was conducted at the University of Rizal System, Binangonan

Campus which is located at Manila East Road, Binangonan Rizal. The URS-

Binangonan is one of the campuses of the University of Rizal System that offers

a Bachelor of Science in Office Administration course.

URS Binangonan campus started out as an extension campus of Rizal

State College (RSC). The building where it is now situated was initially

constructed to house the Vicente Madrigal National High School and was

inaugurated on August 26, 1998. But through the efforts of Dr. Heracleo Lagrada,

president of RSC, and with the aid of Dr. Edith Doblada, DECS Superintendent,

RSC requested the Hon. Cong. Gilberto M. Duavit and Hon. Gov. Casimiro

Ynares Jr. to allow RSC to occupy the newly constructed building.

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Subject of the Study

The subject of the study is the students of the Bachelor of Science in

Office Administration course at the University of Rizal System, Binangonan

Campus academic year 2023-2024. The researchers gathered 192 responses

from first year up to fourth year of BSOA students.

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To specify, there are fourthy nine (49) responses in the first year, fourthy

eight (48) in the second year, fourthy three (43) in the third year, and fifthy two

(52) in the fourth year with a total of one ninety two (192) responses.

Sources of Data

With the authorized research title in hand, the researchers started to

create questionnaires for respondents to complete and to begin crafting related

questions. Once everything is in order and the questionnaires are prepared,

researchers can begin collecting the data for their study by looking for the

proportion of students who engage in self-directed learning within the

respondents.

Research Procedure

After the permission of the approved research title, the researchers started

making the questionnaires to be answered by the respondents and start

preparing questions that is needed for the interview. When all things are settled,

questionnaires and questions for interview is ready, now researchers can look for

different students that will be their respondents and start gathering the data for

the research.
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Researcher study and analysed the data to acquire the expected result of

the research and elaborate the result to give the future researchers that can be

used in future purpose.

Statistical Treatment

To obtain the answer to each question, the researchers employed

statistical treatment.

To determine the profile in terms of age, sex, and year level. To conduct

an interview after reviewing the survey questionnaire.

To determine the extent of “the assessment of the respondents on the

Self-directed learning practices of Bachelor Of Science in Office Administration in

University Of Rizal System Binangonan campus" mean was utilized.