Determining the learning styles of family medicine residents and investigating their relationship with personality traits

Objective: This study aims to define the learning styles and personality traits of family medicine residents and to explore their interrelationships, contributing to a better understanding of how these factors can enhance the effectiveness of residency training. Unlike previous research, this study specifically examines the alignment between learning styles and personality traits within the context of family medicine training, providing new insights into personalized educational strategies. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 97 family medicine residents in Adana City Training and Research Hospital between 15 February 2023 and 15 April 2023. Sociodemographic data questions, Kolb Learning Styles Inventory-3 and Big Five-50 Personality Test (BFPI-50-Tr) were collected through face-to-face interviews with the participants and the data were analyzed with IBM SPSS 24.0 software. Results: The majority of the participants exhibited a diverging learning style (48.5%), followed by accommodating (29.9%) and assimilating (19.6%) styles. The highest mean score in personality traits was observed in agreeableness (40.11±4.32), while the lowest mean score was found in extraversion (30.23±6.70).There was no statistically significant relationship between personality test results and learning styles (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The findings suggest that the majority of family medicine residents prefer diverging and accommodating learning styles, which emphasize learning through experience, discussion, and practical application. To optimize residency education, training programs should incorporate group discussions, brainstorming activities, and experiential learning methods tailored to these styles. Additionally, considering the high agreeableness scores among residents, fostering collaborative and interactive learning environments may further enhance their professional development.