Does learning style preferences influence academic performance among dental students in Isfahan, Iran?
- Author:
Najmeh AKHLAGHI
1
;
Hosein MIRKAZEMI
;
Mehdi JAFARZADE
;
Narjes AKHLAGHI
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Academic performance; Dental students; Iran; Learning methods; Problem-based learning
- MeSH: Humans; Iran; Learning; Linear Models; Problem-Based Learning; Schools, Dental; Statistics as Topic; Students, Dental
- From:Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions 2018;15(1):8-
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: PURPOSE: The present study aimed to identify the learning preferences of dental students and to characterize their relationship with academic performance at a dental school in Isfahan, Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional descriptive study included 200 undergraduate dental students from October to November 2016. Data were collected using a 2-part questionnaire. The first part included demographic data, and the second part was a Persian-language version of the visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted with the chi-square test, 1-way analysis of variance, and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: The response rate was 86.6%. Approximately half of the students (51.5%) had multimodal learning preferences. Among the unimodal group (48.5%), the most common mode was aural (24.0%), followed by kinesthetic (15.5%), reading-writing (8.0%), and visual (1.0%). There was a significant association between academic performance and the reading/writing learning style preference (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Multimodal learning styles were the most preferred. Among single-mode learning styles, the aural style was most common, followed by the kinesthetic style. Students with a reading/writing preference had better academic performance. The results of this study provide useful information for preparing a more problem-based curriculum with active learning strategies.
