Assessment of Kolb's Learning Styles among College Students of Qom University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Background and Objective: Learning styles are effective factors in the learning. Learning is a relatively permanent change in the behavior or attitude of a person over time. Whereas improvement of existing conditions is pivotal in educational activities; therefore, the aim of this study was the assessment of stages and learning styles based on the Kolb theory among students of Qom University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 279 students of the QomUniversity of Medical Sciences, Iran in October 2015. The participants were selected using a stratified sampling method. The assessment instrument was the Kolb learning style inventory (KLSI V.3.1). Data analysis was performed by SPSS using descriptive statistics and Chi square test. Results: The mean age of students was 22.23±4.38 years, and the average grade was 16.85±1.65. Generally, the learning styles of students were convergent (% 38.9), assimilative (% 37.5), divergent (%13.2) and accommodative (%10.4). There was a significant relationship between learning styles with gender (P=0.01). Conclusion: Considering the predominance of convergent and assimilative learning styles in these students, it is recommended that faculty members use visual methods such as diagrams, self learning, individualized instruction and emphasize on practical methods in teaching.

Keywords

• Learning style
• Kolb
• Assimilative
• Convergent