Publication: Learning styles of preclinical students in a medical college in western Nepal
Date
2006
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kathmandu University
Abstract
Objectives: Information on the learning styles of medical students are lacking in medical colleges in Nepal.
Learning styles may be associated with student understanding and may predict success in examination. The present
study was carried out to obtain information on learning styles and preferences for teaching of fourth semester
medical students and note the association, if any, between respondents’ personal characteristics and preferences for
learning styles and types of teaching. The correlation between preferences for learning styles and types of teaching
and performance in the second year university examination was also explored.
Methods: The study was carried out during October 2003 at the Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara,
Nepal using the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory (ASSIST) instrument. Information on the respondents’
personal characteristics was collected. Respondents had to indicate their degree of agreement with a set of
statements using a modified Likert-type scale. The statements were grouped into three main learning styles and two
types of teaching. The median scores among different subgroups of respondents were compared using appropriate
non-parametric tests (p<0.05).
Results: Ninety-two students (92%) participated; fifty-six were male. Thirty-one respondents were Nepalese, 48
were Indians. Majority were educated in English medium schools. The median scores for deep and surface learning
styles were 64 and 49 respectively (maximum score=80). The scores for strategic learning was 75.5 (maximum
score=100). There was no clear preference for any particular type of teaching. Indian students used more surface
apathetic learning strategies compared to others. There was a negative correlation between surface learning and
marks obtained in the final examination.
Conclusions: The students mainly used deep and strategic learning styles. Differences in preference for learning
styles and types of teaching were noted according the respondents’ personal characteristics. This was a preliminary
study and further studies are required.
Key words: Academic performance, Learning styles, Medical students, Nepal, Teaching methods
Description
Shankar PR 1, Dubey AK 2, Binu VS 3
, Subish P4, Deshpande VY 5
1,2,4,5 Department of Pharmacology, 3
Department of Community Medicine, Manipal College of Medical Sciences,
Pokhara, Nepal