Learning styles or study approaches in medical schools: a study of a pebble thrown into the water

This study investigates the relationships between medical students’ learning styles and their study approaches. While learning styles have been criticized and debated, study approaches are recognized for their association with academic success. Understanding these dynamics can enhance educational practices in medical education by catering to diverse student needs. The study employs a descriptive research model with 1724 medical students using the VARK questionnaire and ASSIST inventory. We applied cluster analysis with the k-means algorithm to group students based on their learning styles. The Chi-square test of independence was used to explore the association between learning styles and study approaches. Kinesthetic and Aural styles were most common, followed by Read-Write. Surface-apathetic was the most frequent study approach, followed by strategic and deep approaches. Multimodal learners showed a strong positive association with the deep approach and a negative one with the strategic approach. Kinesthetic learners also favored the deep approach, while Read-Write learners aligned with the strategic approach. The findings underscore the importance of recognizing the interaction between medical students’ learning style preferences and their adopted study approaches. These results can guide medical educators in designing more diverse and student-centered pedagogical strategies. Overall, the study highlights the value of promoting learners’ metacognitive awareness and fostering the development of flexible learning strategies rather than rigidly aligning instruction with specific learning styles.