A comparison of the learning styles among different nursing programs in Taiwan: implications for nursing education

The purpose of this study was to explore the learning style of students in a two-year and a five-year associate degree nursing program, and a two-year baccalaureate degree of nursing program in Taiwan. The Chinese version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) form M is an instrument that measures individual preferences in four dichotomous dimensions of Jungian theory: extraversion/introversion; sensing/intuition; thinking/feeling; and judging/perceiving. The study sample included 425 nursing students: 94 students in a two-year associate degree of nursing (ADN) program, 235 students in a five-year ADN program, and 96 students in a two-year bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program. Analyses of the data revealed that the most common learning styles were introversion, sensing, thinking, and judging (ISTJ) and introversion, sensing, feeling, and judging (ISFJ) among Taiwanese nursing students. The findings of the study indicated that the SJs comprised 41.3% of the participating nursing students. The SJ is a popular preference in nursing. A large sample is recommended for further research. This study can guide nursing educators in the design of classroom and clinical instructional strategies to respond to individual needs in order to enhance student success.