Self-directed learning as a personality construct

This dissertation was completed and submitted at Nipissing University, and is made freely accessible through the University of Toronto’s TSpace repositoryThis study, which conceptualized self-directed learning (SDL) from a personality perspective, was conducted to examine the relationships between SDL and the Big Five personality dimensions. An additional aim was to investigate whether these relationships varied across a college and university sample. An online survey was completed by a volunteer sample of 95 college and 161 university students during their first year of postsecondary school. The survey collected SDL data using the Oddi Continuing Learning Inventory (OCLI), personality data using the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI), and demographic data using a questionnaire developed by the researcher. The college and university samples were very similar with respect to descriptive statistics for SDL and personality. The most consistent SDL-personality relationship demonstrated in this study was between SDL and openness to experience, showing that SDL may overlap most with this aspect of personality. Overall, personality was a better predictor of SDL for the university group than for the college group, demonstrating that the association between SDL and personality may vary by population. There were more differences in personality and SDL based on demographic variables for the college than the university students, suggesting that demographic variables explained more variability in SDL and personality among the college than the university participants. Thus, demographic variables may be related to SDL and personality as well.Ph.D