Assessing Teaching Style Preference and Factors that Influence Teaching Style Preference of Registered Dietitians

Abstract

Adult patient education is a major responsibility of registered dietitians. A review of the literature indicates that one important characteristic for an effective adult educator is a teaching style which facilitates learning, known as learner-centered teaching style. The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify the teaching style preference and factors (years of experience, number of formal educational sessions which contained sections of adult education and the route to registration) that influenced the teaching style preference of registered dietitians. Six hundred registered dietitians residing in the Midwest were sent the “Adult Education Questionnaire” and the “Principles of Adult Learning Scale(PALS)”, assessment tools, to complete. The overall PALS scores were generated and the frequency distributions and population percentages were calculated for demographic and descriptive data. Analysis of variance tests were performed to assess the relationship between various factors and PALS scores. The findings suggest that the teaching style preference of registered dietitians was teaching-centered. Years of employment had a significant affect on teaching style. The number of formal educational sessions in which the dietitians participated that related to adult education had the most significant effect on teaching style preference. The route to registration had no significant influence on teaching style preference. Registered dietitians demonstrate a teacher-centered teaching style. Formal educational programs incorporating principles of adult education can positively influence the teaching style of dietitians to become more learner-centered.