Analysis of Structural Relationships Among College Freshmen's Self-Understanding, Self-Direction, Learning Competency, and Problem-Solving Ability

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate on self-understanding, self-direction, learning competency, and problem-solving ability of college freshmen, and to investigate the structural relationship between these variables. This study also aims to analyze the influence of selfunderstanding on problem solving ability and to verify the mediating effect of self-direction and learning competency in the relationship between these two variables. In this study, descriptive statistics analysis was performed to confirm the normal distribution of variables. The correlation between the variables was confirmed through correlation analysis. Subsequently, the fitness was analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis, and the total effect, direct effect, and indirect effect between each variable were finally verified. To this end, a survey was conducted with 2,860 freshman students; regarding gender, there were 1,464 male students (51.2%) and 1,396 female students (48.8%). There were 1,229 (43.0%) students in science and engineering, 1,105 (38.5%) in humanities and social sciences, and 526 (8.4%) in art and physical education. The main analysis results are as follows. First, it was found that the self-understanding of college freshmen had a significant positive (+) effect on problem solving ability. Second, regarding the relationship between self-understanding and problemsolving ability in college freshmen, self-direction and learning competency were both found to have positive (+) mediating effects. Third, it was found that the parameter of self-direction had a positive (+) effect on learning competencies, and thus the double-mediated effect of the relationship between self-direction and learning competencies of college freshmen and their problem-solving ability was revealed.