Abstract
Abstract Objective This study aimed to determine the differences in learning style preferences among bachelor degree nursing students at Central South University and associate degree nursing students at the Vocational Health School in China. Methods This study was a cross-sectional survey using the Chinese version of the VARK questionnaire to assess preferred learning styles: 159 enrolled bachelor degree nursing students and 199 enrolled associate degree nursing students completed the questionnaire with a response rate of 96.8%. Results The bachelor degree nursing students tend to prefer a multimodal learning style (58.49%), which significantly differed from that of associate degree nursing students (45.77%). The kinaesthetic modality was the predominant unimodal learning style among the bachelor degree and associate degree nursing students (18.20% and 33.67%), and the read-write modality was the least popular modality (2.5% and 4.02%). Conclusion There are both differences and similarities between the learning style preferences of bachelor degree and associate degree nursing students. Educational background is one of the most critical factors that influence the learning style preference of nursing students. This finding may be necessary and beneficial for carrying out future curricula reform. In addition, further comprehensive research should be conducted to examine the relationships between learning style preferences and academic performance, as well as learning style preferences and teaching methods.
Highlights
Learning is an interactive process and is the product of student and teacher activity within a learning environment.[1]
This study was a cross-sectional survey using the Chinese version of the VARK questionnaire to assess preferred learning styles: 159 enrolled bachelor degree nursing students and 199 enrolled associate degree nursing students completed the questionnaire with a response rate of 96.8%
A similar study conducted in the University of Colombo and the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine showed that the majority of medical undergraduates were multimodal learners, and the majority of postgraduates had unimodal (52.9%) learning styles.[15]. Paiboonsithiwong’s study showed that the most preferred VARK learning style among medical students was quadmodal.[17]. The reasons for the difference among bachelor degree nursing students and associate degree nursing students may be multifactorial
Summary
Learning is an interactive process and is the product of student and teacher activity within a learning environment.[1] Changes in disease patterns, the acceleration of the aging population and the internationalization of nursing education make it difficult for traditional nursing education to accommodate the new education environment. To meet these challenges, there has been a shift from the traditional teacher-centred approach to the newer learner-centred approach.[2] In this situation, adopting new methods of teaching and learning to varying degrees is important.
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