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A four-year longitudinal study of dental student learning styles
Journal of Dental Education
|April 1, 1987
Summary
Dental students increasingly favored concrete sequential learning styles throughout their curriculum. This suggests dental education environments may reinforce specific learning preferences.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Medical Education
Background:
- New learning style inventories with strong theoretical and psychometric foundations have emerged globally.
- Understanding student learning styles is crucial for optimizing educational environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the perceived learning styles of dental students across their four-year curriculum.
- To determine if the dental school environment influences learning style preferences.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Gregorc Learning Style Delineator to assess 48 dental students.
- Tracked learning style dimensions longitudinally throughout the students' program.
Main Results:
- Students consistently scored higher on the concrete sequential learning style dimension each year.
- A significant increase in concrete sequential preference was observed as students neared graduation.
Conclusions:
- The dental school curriculum appears to reinforce a concrete sequential learning orientation.
- Educational environments may shape or amplify inherent learning style predispositions.