Objective:
To determine the learning style and learning preference of dental students and dentists in different dental colleges within Karachi.
Materials and Method:
Total six hundred and four students and dentists participated in this study. Learning preferences were elicited using a Learning Style Questionnaire (LSQ) which consisted of eighty questions. It is based on four learning styles Activist, Theorist, Reflector and Pragmatist. Each of the learning style has twenty related questions in questionnaire. The result was analyzed using SPSS software version 21.
Results:
The overall response rate was 86.28%. The most preferred learning style was Reflector (39.73%) and Pragmatist (35.09%), while, the least preferred style was Theorist (19.86%) and Activist (17.71%). Majority of the students have developed preference for at least one learning style. Some students (20.52%) have developed equally strong preference for two learning styles. None of the students have developed equally strong preference for three or four learning styles.
Conclusion:
A wide range of learning occurs in dental Colleges in Karachi. The result of this study can be used to teach students according to their preferred learning style or alternatively, students can be motivated or encouraged to learn in any situation.
Key words: learning; learning style; learning preference
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