Exploring the learning preferences using Kolb’s learning style inventory among undergraduate nursing students: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: By identifying the predominant learning styles among undergraduate nursing students, educators can tailor instructional methods to enhance engagement, retention, and application of knowledge in both classroom and clinical settings.

Methods: A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted from August to November 2023 including 150 undergraduate nursing students through convenience sampling technique. Kolb’s learning style inventory was used to collect the data for identifying the preferred learning style and socio-demographic tool was used for assessing the demographic variables. Validity of tool was done by panel of seven experts and internal consistency was assessed by test-retest method. Statistical analysis was employed by SPSS version 20.

Results: The findings revealed that the majority of participants exhibited a very strong preference for the accommodating learning style (65.3%), followed by assimilating (45.3%), converging (40%), and diverging styles (31.3%). Significant associations were found between the accommodating learning style and variables such as age (p=0.04), nature of stay (p=0.04), and medium of previous education (p=0.01). The diverging learning style showed a significant association with self-study habits (p=0.04), while the assimilating style was associated with religion (p=0.02). No significant associations were observed between the converging learning style and any sociodemographic variables.

Conclusions: Nursing education should incorporate diverse teaching strategies to accommodate varied learning styles and address sociodemographic influences, thereby enhancing student engagement and academic success. Further research is recommended to explore the broader implications of these findings in different educational and cultural contexts.