ESTIMATION OF PBL TECHNOLOGY BY MEDICAL STUDENTS DEPENDING ON THEIR LEARNING STYLE

Abstract

The article presents the results of an empirical study in which a search was made for the correlation between learning styles of students and their attitude to two types of learning: traditional for Medical institutions of Ukraine and problem-based learning (PBL). This study was conducted among second-year students of Medical Institute of Sumy State University by using questionnaires. For comparative estimation of learning systems, authors developed special questionnaire that estimates psycho-emotional comfort, organization of learning process, student’s role in the learning process, students’ vision of the teacher’s role, and the choice of the teaching system as optimal. Students of different learning styles (“activists”, “theorists”, “reflectors”, and mixed styles) have been established to perceive different teaching methods (traditional versus PBL) differently. Reflectors and Activists (as leading learning styles, 45.1 % and 19.6 %, respectively) give more positive estimation of learning process organization in PBL system compared to traditional system than Theorists (11.8 % of students). In general, students of all learning styles appreciated PBL as an additional educational innovation that improves the practical component of higher medical education based on traditional approaches to teaching. This can be explained by the fact that organization of PBL lessons meets the demands of all learning styles. The possibility to introduce 50 % of PBL study lessons into the curriculum of students’ training in Medical Institute has been supported by the majority of students.

Keywords

• problem-based learning, learning styles, higher medical education