Readiness for self-directed learning: Comparison of college-prep and vocational education public high school seniors

The purpose of this study was to expand the knowledge about readiness for self-directed learning in public high school students. In order to accomplish this, the study compared and contrasted readiness for self-directed learning, as measured by Guglielmino's Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS), of two groups of high school seniors in the St. Louis, Missouri region: college prep seniors in the Rockwood and Wentzville R-IV School Districts (n = 99) and vocational education seniors in the South County and North County Technical Schools (n = 92).;The study also examined topics associated with self-directed learning as they related to younger or pre-adults. These topics included: Description of Self-Directed Learning, Emergence of Self-Directed Learning From Learning in General, Fostering Self-Direction in Learning for Adults, Focusing on the Needs of Young or Pre-Adult Learners, Importance of Understanding Young or Pre-Adults' Readiness for Self-Directed Learning, and the Aims and Outcomes of Vocational Education Versus the Traditional College Preparatory Model.;Although there was no statistically significant difference in the overall mean score of each group (college prep group = 216.65; vocational education group = 216.25) there were differences in the item response scores. For example, when examining the nine (9) item responses noted as being statistically significant (p <.05), the following might be implied: Vocational education students know better what they want to learn; college prep students have a higher level of expectation for the teacher to tell all the class members exactly what to do at all times; college prep students, even if they have a great idea, have difficulty making a plan for making it work; vocational education students believe that no one but themselves are truly responsible for what they learn; vocational education students are better at thinking of unusual ways to do things; vocational education students have a stronger desire to learn new things; vocational education students feel more strongly that learning how to learn is important; college prep students believe that learning doesn't make an difference in their lives; and college prep students believe that they are a more effective learner in the classroom and on their own.