آموزش بهداشت و ارتقاء سلامت ایران (Sep 2016)
Relationship of Learning Styles in Students of Health Sciences with Lifelong Learning
Abstract
Background and objective: Learning style is one of the main components of proper educational planning. The concept of lifelong learning is also one of the valuable concepts regarding professional knowledge and skills, especially for healthcare professionals. The current study was aimed at identifying preferred learning styles among students of health faculty of the Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences (BMSU) and assessing the relationship between learning style and lifelong learning. Materials and methods: In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, 209 students from different health disciplines in the School of Health, BMSU were assessed. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, Kolb learning style inventory, and the scale of lifelong learning. Chi-square, Fisher exact test, Pearson correlation and one-way ANOVA were used with the help of SPSS 20 for data analysis. Results: The mean age of participants was 26.69 (SD= 8.38) and the majority of them were male (94%). Distribution of learning styles were: diverger (36%), accommodator (34%), assimilator (21%), and converger (10%). Among demographic and academic related variables only grade point average (GDP) significantly was associated with learning styles (p < 0.05). The mean score of lifelong learning was 45.70 (SD= 5.25). The constructs of lifelong learning had significant relationships with active experiencing and reflective observation modes of learning style. The learning styles of assimilator and diverger obtained higher scores of lifelong learning than others. Conclusion: Regarding divergers and accommodators were more frequent than others, it is suggested that these facts be considered for a better educational planning and matching of proper teaching methods. Further research is needed to recognize the relations of learning styles with lifelong learning. Paper Type: Research Article.
