Evidence on Learning Style Preferences Among Clinical Students in Nigeria Using the Visual, Aural, Read/Write, and...

Understanding how medical students learn is critical for improving teaching strategies in clinical education. Despite the widespread use of learning style frameworks, such as visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic (VARK), evidence from sub-Saharan Africa remains limited, and the use of learning style approaches is debated in the literature. In clinical and health sciences education, aligning teaching with learners' preferences can enhance knowledge retention, procedural competence, and ultimately the quality of patient care.

This study aimed to determine the predominant learning style preferences of clinical students at a Nigerian medical school and to examine how demographic and academic factors influence these preferences, with explicit attention to implications for clinical pedagogy.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 200 clinical students (400-600 level) at Niger Delta University between October 2021 and December 2021, using the validated VARK inventory (version 7.8). Descriptive statistics summarized distributions, and the Pearson chi-square tests or Fisher exact tests assessed bivariate associations with sex, age group, and year of study. A multivariable modeling strategy was prespecified but not performed due to the categorical structure of the primary outcomes, sparse cells for some modality categories, and the sample size limitations for multinomial modeling.

Of 200 participants (mean age 25.1, SD 3.9 y; n=107, 53.5% male), 105 (52.5%) preferred unimodal learning, and 95 (47.5%) preferred multimodal learning. Kinesthetic (n=121, 60.5%) and auditory (n=110, 55%) were the most common dominant preferences, followed by read/write (n=68, 34%) and visual (n=36, 18%). Visual preference was significantly higher among male participants (χ21=4.49; P=.03). Read/write preference varied by year of study (χ22=8.29; P=.02). No significant associations were found with age. The pedagogical implications for clinical teaching were discussed, including bedside instruction, skills laboratory, simulation, small-group teaching, and audio-visual learning resources.

Clinical students in this Nigerian setting predominantly favored kinesthetic and auditory learning, with nearly half reporting multimodal preferences. Medical educators should adopt blended instructional designs that include hands-on, discussion-based, and audio-visual elements to better prepare students for clinical practice. These insights can inform faculty development, curriculum design, and national medical education policies to foster adaptive, learner-centered training that improves clinical competency and readiness for professional service.