The assessment of student nurse learning styles using the Kolb Learning Styles Inventory

The learning styles of 192 Registered General Nursing/DipHE students was determined using the Kolb Learning Styles Inventory prior to the students having any formal contact with lecturing staff. The percentage of students having a predominantly concrete learning style was 53.7%, while 46.3% were predominantly reflective. This finding is in keeping with those of Laschinger & Boss (1984), who suggest that they are supportive of Kolb's theoretical tenet that concrete learners tend to choose people-oriented professions. Chi-squared tests were used to determine if the respondent's learning styles varied with either age, sex or having been in employment prior to becoming a nursing student; no statistically significant associations were found. A further chi-squared analysis was performed to see if there was a relationship between learning style and those students who possessed: 1) only the DC test, 2) O-levels as highest qualifications, and 3) A-levels as highest qualifications--no statistically significant associations were found. There remain measurement problems with the Kolb inventory, and a discussion of some of these issues are presented. The findings have reinforced the need for using a variety of delivery styles with students, with an emphasis on participation and experiential learning. This need for variety is essential given the distribution of learning styles found with the students. Nurse educators are urged to re-examine perceptions and assumptions about student learning needs.