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Gregorc learning styles and achievement in anatomy and physiology
P H Harasym1, E J Leong, G E Lucier
1Department of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The American Journal of Physiology
|June 1, 1995
Summary
The Gregorc Style Delineator (GSD) may not accurately identify learning styles in nursing students. Research found no link between GSD-identified styles and anatomy/physiology course achievement, questioning its validity.
Area of Science:
- Anatomy and Physiology Education
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- The Gregorc Style Delineator (GSD) is a tool used to identify distinct learning styles.
- Its validity in predicting academic achievement, particularly in science education, requires rigorous examination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between learning styles identified by the GSD and student achievement in human anatomy and physiology.
- To assess the psychometric properties of the GSD in a nursing student population.
Main Methods:
- Administered the Gregorc Style Delineator (GSD) to 260 undergraduate nursing students.
- Compared GSD results with student achievement scores in a human anatomy and physiology course.
- Utilized factor analysis and VARIMAX rotation for data analysis.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant relationship was found between the four alleged learning styles identified by the GSD and student achievement in anatomy and physiology.
- Factor analysis indicated that the GSD measures a single bipolar scale (sequential vs. random) rather than the proposed four distinct learning styles.
- The GSD's construct validity is questionable based on these findings.
Conclusions:
- The findings challenge the validity of the Gregorc Style Delineator (GSD) as an accurate measure of learning styles.
- The study recommends discontinuing the use of the GSD for assessing learning styles in this context.
- Further research is needed to validate or refute these findings in diverse academic settings.