Learning Style Profiles of Second-Year MBBS Students in a Medical College Situated in Remote Islands of India

Context Though extensively studied, the relationship between learning styles and academic performance in medical education remains inconclusive. The present study looks into this relationship among second-year students in a medical college in Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India, where the cultural diversity of students may add to the diversity of their learning styles and strategies. Aims The aims of this study are: (i) to evaluate the students' learning style preference on four dimensions based on the Felder-Silverman model; (ii) to assess the association between learning style preference on four dimensions and gender, study hours, study method and study pattern; and (iii) to determine the association between learning style preference on four dimensions, gender, study hours, study method, study pattern and academic performance. Settings and design This is a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study done on the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences (ANIIMS) who attend second-year classes. Materials and methods After obtaining approval from Institutional Research Ethics Committee, 154 medical students who enrolled in the second year during the study period were given an information sheet describing the project. Those who consented to participate were requested to complete the Index of Learning Styles (ILS) Questionnaire and a semi-structured questionnaire. The first internal assessment marks scored in Pharmacology were taken as the academic score. Statistical analysis Data was entered in Microsoft Excel and statistical analysis was conducted. First, descriptive statistics were derived. Chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc analysis were performed. Results Gender distribution showed higher proportion of female students than male students (107 (69.5%) vs 47(30.5%)). In the study, 94 (61%) students studied one to three hours per day and 91 (59%) students took to an individual study. According to the results, 85 (55%) students followed a regular pattern of studying throughout the year while 69 (45%) students studied more just before the exams. In the 'Processing' dimension of ILS, 104 (67.5%) students' preference is fairly well balanced on the axis. In the 'Perception' dimension, 79 (51%) students' preference is fairly well balanced on the axis. In the 'Input Dimension', 72 (47%), students have moderate preference to the visual axis. In the 'Comprehension' dimension, 100 (65%) students' preference is fairly well balanced on the axis. A statistically significant association was observed between study hours and sensing/intuitive preference (p=0.03). Significant associations were seen in case of gender (p=0.006) and study pattern (p=0.039), and the sequential-global axis. Male students showed a higher global learning preference, while irregular study patterns were associated with intuitive styles. Students following a year-round study pattern scored higher with p=0.006. Male students scored slightly better than female students (p=0.03). Conclusion This study concludes that consistent study habit appears to be more influential on academic performance than inherent learning styles.