Learning style among family medicine residents, Qatar

Abstract

Different learning style among family medicine residents is important to adjust the educational program that meet their needs and make the educational process fruitful to improve their academic performance. This study is aiming to assess learning styles among family medicine residents in Qatar. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the West Bay family medicine training center, Doha, Qatar, where all family medicine residents were invited to participate using self-administered validated questionnaire based on David Kolb model of experiential learning that has been extensively used in medical education research. Demographic data were assessed and analyzed as the predictor variables. Data were collected from 38 residents with response rate 76% revealing that the predominant pattern in postgraduate year one (PGY1) is activist in 65% and theorist in 55% while PGY2 tends to be reflector in 45% and theorist in 35% and in PGY3-4 changed to be 70-75% activist and 40-55% (reflector and pragmatic). General learning style pattern among all residents tend to be in the following order: activist 60.5%, then reflector 44.7%, followed by pragmatism 34.2% and finally theorist 36.8%. Learning style assessment is important and can be used to determine which teaching modalities will be best accepted and most effective for family medicine residents which should be considered while planning, designing, and implementing their educational program.