Evaluation of healthcare science student learning styles based VARK analysis technique

Abstract

<span>This study aimed to evaluate the learning styles among healthcare students and to study the relationship with their academic achievement. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 137 healthcare students from six different courses. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire and developed based on the original visual, aural/auditory, read/write, and kinesthetic (VARK) assessment. The questionnaire was divided into two sections: the demographic status and the learning style perspective. A total of 119 respondents (86.8%) has chosen unimodal as their learning styles, while the rest of the 18 respondents (13.2%) choose multimodal as their preferred learning method. Among the unimodal learning styles, visual (32%) and reading (26%) were most preferred among respondents. The auditory and kinesthetic methods of learning were less and accounted for 10% to 20%. Notably, in multimodal learning styles preferences, 4% of students prefer a combination learning style of visual and kinesthetic methods. There was no significant relationship between learning styles and academic achievement using Pearson’s Chi-square test (p>0.05). Hence, both were independent of one another. Hence, some of the dominant learning styles needed to be considered based on their future profession.</span>

The Relationship Among Students’ Learning Styles, Health Sciences Colleges, and Grade Point Average (GPA)

“…The ability of students to adapt to various situations for their learning needs will result in high learning outcomes. [20][21][22][23] An additional benefit of learning style research is that policymakers can consider other factors related to learning and teaching, such as curriculum design, materials development, student orientation, and teacher training. 21,24 Nevertheless, some cognitive researchers have alleged that learning styles are "neuromyths" rather than valid psychological constructs.…”

“…In different setting, 137 healthcare students enrolled in six different courses, investigating the relationship between learning styles and academic achievement, and find that most prefer visual, reading and writing, kinaesthetic, and auditory learning styles, in that order. 23 Similarly, the difference between students' preferred learning styles and teachers' preferred teaching styles is investigated to show a mismatch between the two categories; while the students prefer sensing, visual, active, and sequential learning styles, the teachers prefer abstract, verbal, passive, and global teaching styles. 19 Finally, the relationship between students' learning styles and their satisfaction with the educational activities offered to them by the educational programme.…”

Teacher Education Students’ Preferred Learning Styles in the New Normal: Basis for Enhancing Pedagogies

“…Students recognize their abilities and came up with ways in which they can learn the lesson better. According to Fleming as cited in Kamal (2021), he explained that most people possess a dominant or preferred learning style. These learning styles are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.…”

“…Sensory learning style can further be classified into three general learning styles that are often used and have been divided into three sub-types of learning styles by De Porter (2016), which include visual, audio and kinesthetic learning styles (Dornyei, 2005;Oxford, 2001). Interestingly, Kamal (2021), argued that students might not be aware which learning method is suitable for them.…”

Relationship Between Learning Styles and Physics Learning Outcomes of Class X Science Students

“…The research that was carried out by (Taqwa & Astalina, 2015;Kamal et al, 2021) reveals that there is a significant correlation of the audiotory, visual, and also kinesthetic Students learned by reading notebooks and textbooks, some were talking to their friends, some were silent and some were active to ask questions and were active in asking when something was not understood. These conditions can make the students bored and not focused on the lesson.…”