Mapping learning preferences in nursing education: A cross-sectional study among generation Z students

The emergence of COVID-19 has revolutionized the instructional strategies practiced in the education system with the sudden dominance of E-learning strategies that broke the myths of impossible online modes of teaching. The main Aim of the study was to investigate the learning styles preferences and its impact among the generation Z nursing students on their academic success.

For this cross-sectional descriptive survey design, 249 nursing students were selected from a university in the Sultanate of Oman. Data was collected from February 2021 until September 2021 using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire about printed and digital resources. Descriptive statistical analysis using mean, median, standard deviation, and analytical statistics using ANOVA and Pearson's correlation at P < 0.0.5 was applied.

The study participants indicated 70.7% as female students, with the majority of students (75.1%) spending between less than one hour and up to 3 hours per day and with (61.4%) of students preferring printed materials over onscreen for academic purposes. Among the digital devices, Laptops (41.8%) remain the most preferred device. 49.8% of students reported reading hard copies as easier in comparison to the 32.5% for onscreen reading. A significant positive correlation was observed between gender and hard-copy textbook preference (0.264, P = 0.000) and between choice of reading for academic purposes and preference to read hard-copy textbooks (0.264, P = 0.000).

In conclusion, understanding and addressing diverse learning styles is essential for policymakers and educators to foster effective education systems to identify a responsive approach to learning style to improve educational outcomes in this dynamic world.