Approaches to Learning and Study Skills among Medical Students in Oman

Effective learning habits have been identified as a significant factor influencing students’ academic achievement. The present study was designed to investigate the learning approaches and study skills exhibited by the medical students from academic years MD1, MD2 and MD3 using a validated study skills inventory questionnaire, The Denis Congo Study Skills Inventory (DCSSI). The study of 255 students revealed that MD2 students generally scored lower in several skill areas compared to MD1 and MD3 students. Specifically, 70.54% of MD2 students scored below 30 in textbook reading, while 60.46% scored below 20 in note-taking skills. In memory skills, 26.35% of MD2 students scored below 30. For test preparation, 22.48% of MD2 students scored below 40, and 27.90% scored below 35 in concentration skills. Additionally, 44.18% of MD2 students scored below 20 in time management. These differences across the groups were statistically significant. The study identified note-taking, textbook reading, and time management as the areas where students needed the most support.