Assessment of Learning Styles Using Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory among Medical College Students: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Technology has become increasingly integral in medical education, especially with the implementation of newer Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) curricula. Blending conventional methods with e-learning and ensuring its effectiveness in supporting student learning requires effort and consideration. In this regard, Kolb’s learning styles, introduced in 1984, can be helpful in identifying different types of learners within the student population and tailoring teaching methods accordingly to enhance student outcomes. Aim: To assess the learning styles of medical students using Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory, version 3.1, and to compare the learning styles with the year of study. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnairebased study was conducted in the Department of Pharmacology, Terna Medical College, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. on 194 first and second Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students. The study included students who were present when the questionnaire was administered. The learning styles were assessed using Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory, version 3.1. Descriptive statistics were applied. Results: The total strength of both the first and second-year batches combined was 254. Out of these, 194 students were present when the questionnaire was administered, resulting in a response rate of 76.38%. Seven incorrectly answered questionnaires were excluded from the analysis. Among the 194 valid questionnaires received, 55 students (29.41%) had convergent as their learning style, making it the most common learning style. The next most common learning style was accommodative, with 52 students (27.81%) exhibiting this style. Specifically, among the first-year MBBS students, 35 out of 108 (32.41%) had a convergent learning style, while among the second-year MBBS students, 24 out of 79 (30.38%) had an accommodative learning style. There was a statistically significant difference observed in the learning styles between the first and second-year MBBS students (p-value <0.05). Conclusion: In present study, it was observed that the convergent learning style was dominant among the medical students in the first and second years combined, with the first year being predominantly convergent and the second year being predominantly accommodative.