The critical nature of medicine necessitates a unique form of practical training for medical students. This training should incorporate various methods to cater to individual learning styles. The selection of these methods and educational resources, encompassing both traditional and virtual environments, depends on several factors, including student learning preferences. Understanding these preferences allows for the development of high-quality and effective educational approaches. Research has demonstrated the value of identifying and accommodating learning styles to optimize educational outcomes [10].
Most participants in this study were between the ages of 20-25 years, with more responses from the University of Ibadan due to the larger population of students in dental and medicine programs. Of the participants, 56.8% were male, and 43.2% were female, while the highest response rate was received from 400L and 500L. The unimodal learning style is preferred by most students in this study, and the aural method is the most prevalent learning method. Similarly, a report from Saudi Arabia showed that the Unimodal learning style is most prevalent, and the dominant method is the aural method [11]. This is similar to another report from the United States, where students preferred a single mode of information presentation. However, the visual mode is preferred, contrary to our findings in another way [12]. Most studies report a preference for multiple learning modalities [9, 13, 14], and a few report a high prevalence of preference for single learning modalities, mostly kinesthetic [6, 9]. Different studies reported varying figures for the preference of the modalities, yet all modalities were found to be important; however, in general, the kinesthetic, visual and aural modalities take the lead [6-9, 13].
Of all the four learning modalities, the Unimodal learning style is prevalent among Male students and quadmodal in Females. This alternated with a report from India, where most males preferred multimodal, and unimodality was more prevalent among females [15]. Moreover, some participants preferred more than one learning style in our study. These findings resonated with reports that medical students use different learning styles better to understand various subjects [5, 12]. Furthermore, this study observed that visual+aural (VA) is preferred in the bimodal class. Visual+aural+read/write (VAR) is preferred in the trimodal class. However, research findings regarding specific learning style combinations can vary. One study identified auditory and kinesthetic (AK) as the most common bimodal preference, while another study found visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (VAK) to be the most prevalent trimodal combination [16].
The prevalent learning style based on institution showed that in LAUTECH, the Unimodal learning style was most preferred, while the majority in UI preferred Quadmodal. Also, most LAUTECH respondents prefer the Kinesthetic learning method, while UI respondents prefer the Aural learning method. There is evidence suggesting a link between a particular institution's learning environment and students developing a preference for a single learning style (unimodal). All learning styles have their strengths and weaknesses; no one style is inherently superior. Individual variations in learning styles likely stem from unique cognitive abilities [17]. Several factors can directly impact a student's learning process. Understanding these factors empowers educators to tailor teaching methods, potentially improving student performance [18]. Student learning preferences can be influenced by a multitude of variables, including gender, age, sociocultural background, the university's educational and cultural context, self-awareness, life experiences, other learning skills, educator influence, motivation, access to academic support, and mentor's teaching style [8]. However, research on these potential influences has yielded mixed results [19].
It was also observed that learning style shows no statistically significant relationship with age, gender, level and course of study. However, unimodal learning modality was prevalent among the 400 to 600 classes. Furthermore, the unimodal learning style is prevalent across different age groups, among males, whereas the quadmodal learning style is more common among females. Similarly, it was observed that an unimodal learning style is predominant among Medicine students, while most Dentistry students prefer a quadmodal learning style.
Limitations of Study
The cross-sectional design employed in the study captures a singular snapshot of learning style preferences at a specific moment, potentially neglecting the dynamic nature of individual learning preferences that could evolve throughout medical education. Additionally, using self-reported measures to assess learning style preferences introduces the possibility of response bias or subjective interpretation by the participants, potentially compromising the accuracy and reliability of the obtained data. However, it is worth noting that one of the strengths of this study lies in its contribution as the first multi-institutional investigation focusing on learning style preferences among medical students in the Southwestern region of Nigeria. By encompassing multiple institutions, the study provides insights into the preferences of a diverse group of medical students within the specified geographical area. This broadens the understanding of learning style preferences in this specific context and lays the groundwork for future research and interventions targeting medical education in the region.