Assessment of Learning Style Preferences and Their Influence on Gender & Academic Performance among First Year Medical Undergraduate Students
Learning style preferences among first year medical students
Keywords:
academic performance, gender, Honey & Mumford questionnaire, learning styles, medical studentsAbstract
Background & Objectives: To maximize the education value of medical teaching it is necessary to understand our learners’ preferred mode of learning and facilitate them with the best possible way. Our objective was to assess the learning style preferences of first year MBBS students and study the influence of learning styles on gender & academic performance. Methods: We administered Honey & Mumford’s 80-point learning style questionnaire to 150 first year medical students (87 females & 63 boys) of our institute. We studied correlation of learning styles with gender & academic performance with ANOVA & Chi square tests. Results: 58% of our students were Unimodal (single ‘very strong’ preference), 28% Bimodal (two ‘very strong’ preferences) & 13% Multimodal (more than two ‘very strong’ preferences). ‘Activist’ was the most preferred style among unimodal learners & ‘Reflector/theorist’ among bimodal learners. Gender differences were evident among the Unimodal vs. Bimodal/Multimodal learners. Statistically significant difference was observed within the unimodal group with reflectors as highest achievers. No significant difference in the exam grades of Unimodal, Bimodal & Multimodal learners was evident. Conclusion: We have a diverse group of learners and understanding their learning preferences will help in catering to their learning needs. [Mrunal S NJIRM 2017; 8(1): 109-115]
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34. Kumar LR, Chacko TV. Using appreciative inquiry on learning styles to facilitate student learning. Med Educ. 2010; 44(11):1121–2.
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2. Duff A, Duffy T. Psychometric properties of Honey & Mumford’s learning styles questionnaire (LSQ). Personality and Individual Differences. 2002 Jul; 33(1):147–163.
3. Penger S, Tekavcic M. Testing Dunn & Dunn's and Honey & Mumford's learning style theories: the case of the Slovenian higher education system. Management: Journal of Contemporary Management Issues. 2009 Jul 1; 14(2): 1.
4. Kolb D. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice-â€Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
5. Coffield F, Moseley D, Hall E, Ecclestone K. Learning styles and pedagogy in post 16 learning: a systematic and critical review. The Learning and Skills Research Centre; 2004.
6. Alick BE. Case studies of the effect of learning styles, problem-solving strategies and instructional strategies on the achievement of African American college students in general chemistry (African-American). DissAbstrInt 1993; 54/06: A2108.
7. Boydak AL. Learning Styles. İstanbul, Turkey: White, 2001, p. 8–10.
8. Brown B. Myths and Realities No. 26: Teaching Style vs. Learning Style. Columbus, OH: Educational Resources Information Center, 2003.
9. Murphy R, Gray S, Straja S, Bogert M. Student learning preferences and teaching implications. J Dent Educ. 2004; 68(8):859–66.
10. Kappe FR, Boekholt L, den Rooyen C, Van der Flier H. A predictive validity study of the learning style questionnaire (LSQ) using multiple, specific learning criteria. Learn IndivDiff 2009;19 (4):464–467.
11. Duckett I, Tatarkowski M. Effective practice: Learning styles and their application for
12. effective learning Available from: http://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files/LearningStyles.pdf.
13. Honey P, Mumford A. (2006) The Learning Styles Helper’s Guide. Maidenhead: Peter Honey Publications Limited.
14. McCall L, Klein B, Piterman L, Lam T. Learning style preferences for Hong Kong GPs recruited in a distance-learning course. Hong Kong Practitioner. 2005; 27(7):261–267.
15. Guraya S, Habib F, Khoshhal K. Learning styles of medical students at Taibahuniversity: Trends and implications. J Res Med Sci 2014; 19(12):1155-1162.
16. Haley V, Smith CF. Funded mini-project: An investigation into the learning styles of the university of Southampton medical school entrants and outcomes of their first year primaryBM exams. Final report. 2016. Available from: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/60837/.
17. Irfan Shukr, Roop Zainab, Mowadat H. Rana. Learning Styles of Postgraduate and Undergraduate Medical Students. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak 2013, Vol. 23 (1): 25-30
18. Aziz Z. Learning style preferences of pharmacy students. EurJ SocBehav Sci. 2013 Jan 1; 4(1):819–835.
19. Raju G Prageetha. Determining the learning styles of management students in India using Honey & Mumford learning style. BharatiVidyapeeth‘s Journal of Management Research; 2011; 3 (1).
20. Hess D, Frantz J. Understanding the learning styles of undergraduate physiotherapy students. Afr J Health Prof Educ. 2014; 6(1):45–47.
21. Lie L, Angelique L, Cheong E. How do male and female students approach learning at NUS? CDTL Brief. 2004; 7: 1–3.
22. Chang W. Learning goals and styles by gender–a study of NUS students. CDTL Brief 7: 2004:4–5.
23. Philbin M, Meier E, Huffman S, Boverie P. A survey of gender and learning styles. Sex Roles. 1995 Apr; 32(7-8):485–494.
24. Wehrwein EA, Lujan HL, DiCarlo SE. Gender differences in learning style preferences among undergraduate physiology students. AJP: AdvPhysiolEduc 2007 Jun 1; 31(2):153–157.
25. Sinha MM, Naik SS, Jadeja JM, Patel AH. Gender Differences in Preferences Of Various Modalities Of Learning Styles Among Undergraduate Medical Students. Int J Basic ApplPhysiol, 2013; 2 (1): 88-90.
26. Prajapati B, Dunne M, Bartlett H, Cubbidge R. The influence of learning styles, enrolment status and gender on academic performance of optometry undergraduates. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2010 Nov 4; 31(1):69–78.
27. Bhalli MA, Khan IA, Sattar A. Learning style of medical students and its correlation with preferred teaching methodologies and academic achievement. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. 2015 Oct-Dec; 27(4):837-42.
28. Sopian A. A study on learning styles among Arabic language students at UniversitiTeknologi Mara, Malacca campus. IOSR Journal of Humanities And Social Science. 2013; 15(4):38–40.
29. Newble DI, Jaeger K. The effect of assessments and examinations on the learning of medical students. Med Educ 1983 May; 17(3):165–171.
30. Jiraporncharoen W, Angkurawaranon C, Chockjamsai M, Deesomchok A, Euathrongchit J. Learning styles and academic achievement among undergraduate medical students in Thailand. J EducEval Health Prof 2015; 8 12:38.
31. Pellón M, Nome S, Arán A. Relationship between learning styles and academic performance of the fifth-year medical students. Rev. bras. oftalmol.; 2013; 72(3):181–4.
32. Wilkinson T, Boohan M, Stevenson M. Does learning style influence academic performance in different forms of assessment? J Anat. 2013; 31; 224(3):304–308.
33. Fleming S, Mckee G, Huntley-Moore S. Undergraduate nursing students’ learning styles: A longitudinal study. Nurse Educ Today. 2011; 31(5):444–449.
34. Kumar LR, Chacko TV. Using appreciative inquiry on learning styles to facilitate student learning. Med Educ. 2010; 44(11):1121–2.
35. Vermunt JD, Verloop N. Congruence and friction between learning and teaching. Learning and Instruction. 1999; 9(3):257–280.
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Published
2018-01-31
How to Cite
Shenwai, M. R., & Patil, K. B. (2018). Assessment of Learning Style Preferences and Their Influence on Gender & Academic Performance among First Year Medical Undergraduate Students: Learning style preferences among first year medical students. National Journal of Integrated Research in Medicine, 8(1), 109–115. Retrieved from http://nicpd.ac.in/ojs-/index.php/njirm/article/view/1181
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