Improving Sustainability of Learning Outcomes: An Empirical Study of Medical Students’ Autonomous Learning

Lei Zhao (), Ruijie Zhu, Xu Cai and Junchao Zhang ()
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Lei Zhao: School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
Ruijie Zhu: School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
Xu Cai: College of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
Junchao Zhang: School of Education, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: Achieving sustainable learning outcomes for medical students requires the assessment of their engagement in autonomous learning, and the development of sustainable autonomous learning skills. This study examined the relationship among autonomous learning, academic support, school satisfaction, and learning outcomes. It used structural equation modeling to analyze data from 725 medical students studying at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan. The findings showed that autonomous learning was positively related to academic support, school satisfaction, and learning outcomes. Furthermore, both school satisfaction and learning outcomes were positively correlated with academic support. Similarly, school satisfaction was positively correlated with learning outcomes. Academic support and school satisfaction mediated and serially mediated the relationship between autonomous learning and learning outcomes, respectively. Additionally, autonomous learning had positive direct and indirect effects on learning outcomes through the serial mediation of academic support and school satisfaction. The serial mediating effects of academic support and school satisfaction were significant. Thus, autonomous learning was considered to be an important aspect of sustainable learning outcomes; educational administrators could systematically encourage students’ autonomous learning to increase their invested time and effort, and help students improve their learning outcomes.

Keywords: learning outcomes; autonomous learning; academic support; school satisfaction; medical students (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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