An Investigation Into The Learning Styles, English Proficiency And Assessment Performance Of Medical Students
- Author:
Toh Peng Yeow
;
Mark Kiak Min Tan
;
Li-Cher Loh
;
Julia Blitz
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Clinical performance, English proficiency, Learning styles, Visual learners
- From:International e-Journal of Science, Medicine and Education
2010;4(1):7-13
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Appreciation of learning styles can be of use to
help both educators and students to enhance the
effectiveness of an educational experience. It has been
noticed that some students at this College are not very
good at expressing themselves in either written or
spoken English. Our study aimed to identify the
student’s learning styles; assess whether there is
any correlation between learning style, baseline
demographic data and self rated proficiency in English
language; and assess their associations with the
assessment performance.
A group of third year medical students voluntarily
participated in a questionnaire study to provide us with
their learning styles, demographic information and
self-rated proficiency in English language. This data
was compared to the students’ performance in the
assessment at the end of their junior clinical rotations.
This cohort of students (60% Malay, 35% Chinese
and 5% Indian) who were mostly visual learners,
considered themselves proficient in English. Students
with predominantly Visual learning styles and those
with poorer English, score significantly lower during
their clinical long case examinations. These two
predictors appear to be independent of each other.
These results may suggest that our current teaching
modalities may disadvantage students with predominant
visual learning styles. It also suggests that the long case
clinical examination may favour those with more verbal
learning styles.
- Full text:W020150928481860606896.pdf
