How learning styles and preferences of first-year nursing and midwifery students change

Abstract

It is important that educators understand learning styles as an evolving individual characteristic. We investigate the changes in learning styles and preferences of first-year undergraduate nursing/midwifery students after six months of preliminary testing. Curry's 'onion ring model' proposes a stable inner 'Information processing' style (assessed by instruments such as Kolb Learning Style Inventory) compared to the outer 'Instructional preference' style (assessed by the VARK (Visual/Aural/Read-Write/Kinaesthetic) questionnaire), which is more easily influenced by external factors. Therefore, reexamining students after one semester of teaching should result in an increase in multimodal VARK learning with lesser changes to the LSI results. A cross-sectional survey with pre-post design (n ¼ 96) showed 45% of students remaining in the same VARK mode, 30% becoming more multimodal and 25% showing changes. Surprisingly, the LSI questionnaire showed similar results with 45% of students remaining in the same learning modality and 55% of students changing. This research highlights the dynamic changes within students' information processing and instructional preferences.

When are nursing students on clinical placements ready to expand their learning repertoire?

“…Like this study, other studies also found students whose learning style did not change. Mitchell, James and D'Amore [10] verified with version 7 of the VARK questionnaire and the Kolb LSI version 3.1 that 45% and 43% of the studied students, respectively, remained with the same learning style. However, their study does not contribute to an explanation as to why the students did not change or develop their learning repertoire.…”

“…Educators need to encourage students to develop as a balanced learner, as espoused in Kolb's experiential learning theory. [10,24,25] Two Nordic studies highlighted the importance of students being aware of their strengths and shortcomings in learning and…”

“…Some studies found little [6] or no significant changes in learning style scores, [7] while other studies found either significant changes, [8,9] or changes in the majority of learners. [10] Chase [11] studied the effects of both match and mismatch between newly assigned nurses and operating room educators. The learners reported that the matching of learning styles and teaching strategies was beneficial during the first couple of weeks, because it reduced their anxiety and increased their confidence.…”

“…[11] Two other studies concluded that an important challenge in nursing education is to facilitate a process in which nursing students challenge themselves to move beyond their learning style comfort zone in order to maximize their learning potential. [8,10] Thus, there is no consensus as regards nursing students' changes and developments in learning style. It is important to maximize learning potential, because it develops more balanced learners, which is beneficial to lifelong learning.…”

Matching Teaching Pedagogy with Learning Styles of Students- Insights through Literature Review

“…A different inventory, LSI questionnaire showed similar results with 45% of students remaining in the same learning modality and 55% of students changing. This research depicts dynamic changes within students" information processing and instructional preferences [16]. 5.…”