Learning Style Preferences and Multiple Intelligences among the Preclinical Medical Students in Ethiopia

Multiple intelligences (MI) enhance the learning and academic accomplishment for all students. The learning styles may be associated with students ’understanding and may predict success in examination.

The present study was carried out to obtain information on learning style preferences and its correlation with the type of MI among preclinical medical students.

Using a cross-sectional observational design, the established inventories of visual, auditory, read/write and kinaesthetic (VARK) learning styles and Gardner's MI were administered to 55 preclinical medical students of Wollega University, Nekemte, Ethiopia. The information on the respondents ’learning style preferences and their degree of agreement with statements of MI using a Likert-scale were analysed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SPSS 20.

The scores (mean±SD) for learning style preferences: VARK were 4.46±0.24, 5.61±0.24, 6.32±0.27and 4.86±0.20, respectively. Tukey-Kramer multiple comparison tests show significant differences between VARK (p<0.05). The scores (mean±SD) for MI: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, bodily-kinaesthetic, spatial-visual, interpersonal, and intrapersonal were 26.93±6.0, 28.86±5.3, 24.12±5.2, 27.12±6.6, 26.50±5.4, 28.43±6.4, 29.64±6.2, respectively.

The students were mainly read/write learners and have strong intrapersonal instinct. Though second common learners were auditory type, they have no association with any type of intelligences. The strong association of kinaesthetic learners with both musical and intrapersonal intelligences and visual learners with interpersonal intelligence was observed. The students can improve their performance from learning by MI-inspired study strategies that match their intellectual strengths.