The Relationship Between the VARK Learning Styles and Academic Achievement in Dental Students

• Main Authors: Mozaffari HR, Janatolmakan M, Sharifi R, Ghandinejad F, Andayeshgar B, Khatony A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2020-01-01
• Series: Advances in Medical Education and Practice
• Subjects: academic performance; dental; learning; model; students
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/the-relationship-between-the-vark-learning-styles-and-academic-achieve-peer-reviewed-article-AMEP
• ISSN: 1179-7258

Hamid Reza Mozaffari,1 Maryam Janatolmakan,2 Roohollah Sharifi,3 Fatemeh Ghandinejad,4 Bahare Andayeshgar,5 Alireza Khatony6 1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine, School of Dentistry, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; 2Medical Surgical Nursing, Clinical Research Development Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; 3Department of Endodontic, School of Dentistry, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; 4Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; 5Statistic, Clinical Research Development Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; 6Social Development and Health Promotion Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IranCorrespondence: Alireza KhatonyClinical Research Development Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah, IranTel/Fax [phone]Email [e-mail]: Learning style is a factor influencing academic achievement. There are contradictory results in studies on the relationship between learning styles and academic achievement. The current study aimed at investigating the relationship between learning styles and academic achievement in dental students.Methods: In the current descriptive-analytical study, 184 dental students were selected by simple random sampling. The VARK questionnaire was used as the data collection tool. The grade point average (GPA) of previous semester was used as an indicator of academic achievement, and accordingly, students were divided into two groups of strong (GPA ≥15) and weak (GPA ≤14.99).Results: The most common learning styles in strong students were unimodal (n = 55, 42%) and bimodal (n = 41, 31.3%), while they were unimodal (n = 28, 47.2%) and bimodal (n = 24, 45.3%) in the weak students. There was no significant relationship between learning styles and academic achievement in the two groups of strong and weak students.Conclusion: No significant relationship was found between learning style and academic achievement. Further studies with larger sample sizes are recommended. Further studies with larger sample sizes are recommended.Keywords: academic performance, dental, learning, model, students