| The purpose of this study was to use Kolb's Learning Style Inventory to determine the learning style preferences of medical students and to examine the relationship between medical students' learning styles and a series of predictor variables (i.e., GPA, gender, racial/ethnic background, MCAT scores, and undergraduate major), as well as the relationship between medical students' learning styles and medical school outcomes. Additionally, this study explored potential changes in medical students' learning style preferences as they matriculated through medical school.;Two cohorts of medical students (n = 203) were administered the Kolb's Learning Style Inventory at three phases in the medical school curriculum: entry into medical school, at the end of their 2nd year, and at the end of their 3rd year. Data were analyzed using the contingency table chi-square, the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the goodness-of-fit chi square statistical methods.;Findings revealed that certain learning style preferences were found to be more commonly held by medical students. A significant relationship was found between learning style preference and students' racial/ethnic backgrounds and medical specialty placements. Furthermore, data revealed that medical students with certain learning styles achieved significantly higher cumulative medical school GPAs and scored significantly higher on the MCAT than did students with other learning style preferences. There were no significant relationships found between learning style preferences and gender and learning style preferences and undergraduate major. |
