Learning style of medical students and their preferred teaching methodologies in a medical college in Nepal: a descriptive cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Each individual learns differently. Honey and Mumford classified learning styles as activists, reflectors, theorists, and pragmatists. This study was conducted to find out the frequency of learning styles and preferred teaching methodology of students in a medical college in Nepal. Methods: Two hundred MBBS students participated in this study who were selected through a stratified sampling technique using students’ class year as a stratum, followed by a simple random sampling method. Honey and Mumford’s learning style questionnaire was used to determine learning styles. A self-developed questionnaire was used to find their preferred teaching methodology. Results: Of the total, 139 males and 61 females participated in the study where 9 (4.5%) students were activists, 21 (10.5%) were theorists, 112 (56%) were reflectors, and 24 (12%) were pragmatists. Out of all participants, 50 (25%) preferred interactive learning, 47 (23.5%) preferred problem-based learning, 59 (29.5%) preferred self-study, and only 2 (1%) students preferred one-way lectures and guest speakers each. Conclusion: The majority of students were reflectors (56%) and pragmatists (12%). Most students preferred self-study (29.5%) but one-way lectures were less preferred. Medical institutions should align teaching strategies with the learning styles of medical students to improve their understanding and performance.