Self-determined learning skills among adult learners and their learning preferences

This investigation aimed to assess the self-determined learning capabilities of adult learners, all of whom are university graduates engaged in full-time employment, and to explore the patterns in their learning preferences. This study is quantitative research with a correlational design aimed at examining the relationship between adult learners' learning preferences and their scores on the self-determined learning skills scale (SDLSS). The quantitative method will enable statistical analysis to investigate potential connections between variables and understand how learners' learning preferences might impact their ability for self-determined learning. This study involved the distribution of the SDLSS and a learning preferences questionnaire through an online platform to a cohort of 341 adult learners. The analysis was conducted to investigate the correlations between the participants' scores on the SDLSS and various factors, including their study techniques, learning styles, sources of learning, and preferences in self-assessment. It was determined that a significant linkage exists between the SDLSS scores and the learning preference tendencies among adult learners. Given the increasing recognition of self-determined learning, or heutagogy, as a pivotal educational approach for the twenty first century, it is posited that the application of the SDLSS to adult learners and its correlation with their learning preferences can offer substantial contributions to both national and international academic discourses.