Learning Styles among Medical Students, a Case Study of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Medical School, Osogbo, Western Nigeria

Abstract

This study aims to determine the various learning styles among a class of medical students in a tertiary institution. A descriptive type of study which involved distribution of the VARK (visual, auditory, read and write, kinesthetic) questionnaire, was carried out among medical students. This questionnaire divided the students into four groups, visual, auditory or aural, read and write, and kinesthetic. There were 117 participants comprising 50males and 67 females. 107(91.5%) preferred all modes of presentation, while 10(8.5%) preferred three modes. While most females 23(34.3%) preferred the read and write technique, most of the males 24(48.0%) preferred the preferred the kinesthetic method. Overall, the read and write was the most popular among the students. The difference in the learning styles was statistically significant (P <0.05, x²= 16.919) as well as gender preferences (P< 0.05, x²=9.432).Learning style among the students was multimodal. Knowledge of the existing differences in learning among medical students will enhance teaching learning experience and produce better medical doctors.

Key words: Learning style, medical students, teaching /learning experience.