Relationship between the sense of coherence, self‑directed learning readiness, and academic performance in Malaysian undergraduate dental students

نویسندگان

1 General Dentistry, Penang, Malaysia

2 Oral Medicine and Radiology Penang International Dental College, Penang, Malaysia

3

doi
چکیده

BACKGROUND: Stress and low psychological well‑being among students in higher education impacttheir academic performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship betweenSOC, SDLR, and academic performance in year 3, 4, and 5 undergraduate dental students.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and ten students completed a validated questionnaire onSOC and SDLR. The percentage of marks obtained by these students in their year‑end examinationwas used as their academic performance. The SOC scores were further divided into three hierarchicalclusters using cluster analysis. The data were analyzed to determine the difference in the SDLRscores and academic performance among the three clusters. Furthermore, the relationship betweenSOC scores, SDLR scores, and academic performance was assessed.RESULTS: The SDLR scores significantly increased from the low SOC cluster to the high SOCcluster (P = 0.026). However, there was no significant change in academic performance. A positiverelationship was found between the SOC and the academic performance(R = +0.025; P > 0.05). The SDLRhad a significant positive relationship with both SOC and academic performance (R = +0.27; P < 0.001).CONCLUSION: Although SOC may not have a direct influence on academic performance, SDLRcan play an intermediary role. Early identification and timely intervention in students with a weakSOC and low SDLR can have a beneficial influence on their academic life.