A quasi-experimental study on self-directed learning readiness in STEAM-Enhanced digital environments

Abstract

The article investigates the development of pre-service teachers’ readiness for self-directed professional learning in an innovative digital higher education environment. The study focuses on the implementation of pedagogical conditions that support autonomous learning through integrated Internet technologies, digitalization of the educational process, and the creation of a STEAM-oriented learning environment. A quasi-experimental research design with pre-test and post-test measurements was applied to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed pedagogical intervention. The study involved 162 pre-service teachers from pedagogical universities in Ukraine, including 82 students in the experimental group and 80 in the control group. Readiness for self-directed professional learning was assessed across three components: motivational-value, cognitive-operational, and activity-reflective. Statistical analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and the Pearson chi-square (χ²) test to determine the significance of differences between groups. The post-test results demonstrated a substantial improvement in the experimental group after the implementation of the pedagogical model. The proportion of students with a high level of readiness increased from 7.1% to 38.2% (an improvement of 31.1 percentage points), while the proportion with a low level decreased from 48.2% to 8.9%. In contrast, the control group showed only minor changes. The findings confirm the effectiveness of the proposed pedagogical conditions in enhancing students’ readiness for self-directed professional learning in digital higher education environments.