Abstract

Gender Variation in Learning Preferences’ Profile of First Year Medical Students Hadi Al Halbi , LujainAl Khalifa, Sarah Qurishi , AbdullahSarkar , and M. Hasan Rajab Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, KSA Abstract Introduction: Recent research articles in medical education supported the notion that undergraduate students have specific learning preferences profiles. A better understanding of learning profiles can assist college educators in improving classroom learning environment for newly admitted medicals students. Our literature search resulted in conflicting reports concerning gender differences in learning preferences profiles. The main objective of our study was to investigate gender differences in learning preferences profiles using the Fleming’s Visual, Auditory, Reading/writing, Kinesthetic (VARK) instrument. Methods: We administered the Fleming’s online VARK instrument, version 7.1, to first year female , male medical students of Alfaisal University, Riyadh, KSA. Students were instructed to check more than one if a single answer does not match their perception. The total number of participants was tallied as follow: single mode (V, A, R, or K), quadmodal (VARK), trimodal (VAR, VAK, etc.), bimodal (VA, VR, etc.), and multimodal (quadmodal, or trimodal, or bimodal). We used descriptive statistics and Chi-square in the analysis of the study results. Results: A total of 88 out of 183 (48%) first year medical students responded to our invitation and participated in the study; 37 participants (42%) were females. 22% of female and 18% of male students (p=0.06) preferred single modes of information presentation. However, the numbers and types of modality combinations of females and males varied significantly; quadmodal (43% vs. 66%, p=0.03), trimodal or bimodal (35% vs. 16%, p=0.04). Conclusion: After conducting our research which is the VARK instrument testing, on both female and male first year students, Significant gender differences were found in learning preferences profiles of first year medical students, unlike all other studies that were conducted based on this instrument. Female student learning preferences profiles were more heterogeneous. More studies to support our preliminary findings are warranted. VARK copyright version 7.1 (2011)held by Neil D .Fleming , Christchurch , New Zealand , visual, auditory, kinesthetic