Learning patterns and the factors which influence the learning patterns among medical undergraduates of FHCS Eastern University Sri Lanka

Abstract

Medical undergraduates require good quality learning to be equipped with needed skills to bear their responsibilities as future doctors. Learning patterns and their associated factors play a major role in their academic performance. With their hectic lifestyle, learning patterns have been changed in a different direction. Productiveness of the various learning patterns make successful personalities not only in their carrier but also in the personal life. The objective of the study is to describe learning patterns and factors which are used to decide learning patterns among medical undergraduates of FHCS, Eastern University Sri Lanka. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire which was sent via batch representatives to Medical undergraduates of Faculty of Healthcare Sciences Eastern University Sri Lanka. We got total number of 441 responses which include 432 responses with given consent and answered the questionnaire and 9 responses who had not given their consent to take part in the study. Based on Felder-Silverman model, learning pattern were categorized under four dimensions as active/ reflective, sensing/intuitive, visual/verbal and sequential/global. Associated factors of the learning pattern were studied under socio-demographic, skills, lifestyle and academic performance. Time management skills were assessed by Time Management Questionnaire (TMQ). Academic performance was evaluated by the results of the first semester examination. Data was analyzed using SPSS software version 26. p value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Chi squared test was used to find associations. Response rate of 12th Batch 94.2%,13th Batch 92.6%, 14th Batch 89.3%, 15th Batch 61.9%, 16th Batch 78.1%, 17th Batch 79.8% Out of the total participants, the majority of the students preferred active over reflective, sensing over intuitive, visual over verbal and sequential over global learning pattern. Among 432 responses the majority were females (72.2%) and most were single (56.5%). Most of the students (87.3%) were not involved in a part-time job. The majority of the students had greater time management skills (54.6%), high self-satisfaction in the English language (58.6%) and high computer literacy (56.7%). Among the students, 61.8% of students had been involved in extracurricular activities and 67.1% students had mindfulness practice. Some students had A,B grade in HB-01 (14.4%), HB-02 (18.1%) and HB- 03(8.3%),HB-04(8.8%),HB-05(18.5%) while some students were referred in HB-01 (11.8), HB-02(6.9%),HB-03(13.7%),HB-04(13.9%),HB 05(7.4%) When considering the active-reflective learning pattern: Batch, gender, involvement in part-time employment, time management skills, A,B grade obtain from 1st semester examination, A,B grade in in HB-01, referring in HB-01 and HB-02,HB-04 had statistically significant associations with the learning pattern. Practicing mindfulness was the only significantly associated factor when considering the sensing-intuitive learning pattern. When considering the visual-verbal learning pattern; Batch, relationship status, time management skills, computer literacy, extra-curricular activities, A, B grade obtained from 1st semester examination, A,B grade in HB-01, referring in HB-01and HB-03, HB 04 were significantly associated. For sequential-global learning pattern batch and computer literacy were the only factors found to be significantly associated. The present study concludes that most of the students preferred active (53.7%), sensing (56.4%), visual (69.4%), and sequential (55.8%) learning patterns. Some of the socio demographic factors, skills, life style factors and academic performance related factors were found to be significantly associated with four dimensions of learning patterns variably. The university and the academic staff should take into consider that students have a range of learning pattern and the curriculum and learning activities should be planned to cover all those learning patterns.