Preferred Learning Methods among First-year Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Abstract

Background. Understanding how learners process and organize new experiences and acquire information is one of the critical factors affecting the effective teaching and learning. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the perception and processing of information by first-year medical students. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, the convenience sampling method was adopted to select and investigate 180 first-year medical students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in the 2nd semester of the academic year 2022-2023. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of two parts – demographic factors and Kolb's learning styles inventory (LSI). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS-25 and applying descriptive statistics, Chi-square (χ2), t-test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results. According to the results, students preferred the learning method of Abstract Conceptualization (33.89 ± 7.44), followed by active experimentation (29.85 ± 9.77), reflective observation (29.77 ± 8.64), and concrete experience (26.49 ± 9.32). The predominant learning styles adopted by the students were assimilating (38.3%), converging (32.2%), diverging (22.8%), and accommodating (6.7%). No significant differences were found between students' preferred learning methods and demographic variables (i.e., gender, marital status, age, and residential status) (P>0.05). Conclusion. It was concluded that the dominant learning style was not an exclusive factor in predicting educational achievement. It was recommended that the teachers should take their students' learning preferences into account when designing learning opportunities.