Influence of Personality Traits and Learning Styles on Undergraduate Medical Students’ Academic Achievement

Abstract

Purpose: Learning focus has shifted from conventional teacher-centered to student-centered; therefore, methods used to support and encourage learners must be considered. Meanwhile, the individual differences between learners should be taken into consideration by medical educators. Aiming to achieve a better learning experience, the current study investigates the relationship between personality traits and learning styles and their effect on students' academic achievement. Subjects and Methods: An analytical, cross-sectional study, encompassing a sample of 333 undergraduate first-year medical students, at the Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University in Egypt was conducted. The Big Five personality traits test and VARK learning styles questionnaires were used to assess students' personality traits and learning styles, respectively, in the medical education module which is a part of the Foundation II module. The former is five weeks' duration and is followed by a summative exam at the end. Students' academic achievement was determined from their grades in Foundation II module by the end of the semester. Results: Study findings generally indicate that the highest domain of learning styles among students is the kinesthetic domain. A statistically significant difference between males and females regarding their learning style preferences was detected. Also, there was a statistically significant relationship between auditory and kinesthetic learning styles and academic achievement. Though there was a significant relationship between kinesthetic learning style with both openness traits and academic achievement, no significant statistical relationship was found between any of the personality traits and academic achievement. Conclusion:This study concludes that learning style could affect students' academic achievement. It reveals that the kinesthetic learning style is the most preferred learning style among our medical students, also the agreeableness and openness traits were the most common personality traits among them. No significant relationship was detected between personality traits and academic achievement.

A Response to “Influence of Personality Traits and Learning Styles on Undergraduate Medical Students’ Academic Achievement” – A Medical Student Perspective [Letter]

“…It has been well recognized that GPA, which relies on an average of scores, is a more accurate assessment of achievement. 3 While the utility of senior medical students has been briefly acknowledged by Abouzeid et al, 1 we also suggest using GPA as a measure of academic success. This would enable the authors to further fulfill their aim of improving the learning experience at medical school, by diversifying the applicability of results and exploring how students alter their learning style as they gain more clinical exposure in the later years.…”

“…We read with great interest the article by Abouzeid et al, 1 discussing the influence of personality traits and learning styles on academic achievement. As sixth year medical students, we have undertaken teaching modules ourselves, and recognize the importance of tailoring revision to learning styles in order to maximize academic success.…”

Intelligence, Beliefs on IQ and Learning Style predict Academic Performance in Mechanical Engineering Students

“…In a study performed by Duarte, Lopes, and da Silva (2021) the performance of the mechanical engineering students at the University of Porto was correlated with their performance at the end of high school, but found no significant correlation between these two factors. Moreover, learning style and its components are defined as a key factor that influences the learning process of the students and their academic performance (Abouzeid et al 2021), and these factors are based on the individual differences (Biabani and Izadpanah 2019). Various models e.g., Virtual Aural Read/Write Kinesthetic (VARK) model (Abouzeid et al 2021), Dunn & Dunn Model (Schick 1979), andGrasha model (McLaughlin 1996) are used to categorize the learning styles which relate to the way one learns and differs from individual to individual (Phoong, Phoong, and Phoong 2021).…”

“…Moreover, learning style and its components are defined as a key factor that influences the learning process of the students and their academic performance (Abouzeid et al 2021), and these factors are based on the individual differences (Biabani and Izadpanah 2019). Various models e.g., Virtual Aural Read/Write Kinesthetic (VARK) model (Abouzeid et al 2021), Dunn & Dunn Model (Schick 1979), andGrasha model (McLaughlin 1996) are used to categorize the learning styles which relate to the way one learns and differs from individual to individual (Phoong, Phoong, and Phoong 2021). Kolb and Kolb (2006) defined four fundamental learning styles e.g., activist, reflector, theorist and pragmatist.…”

Medical Students’ Personalities: A Critical Factor for Doctor-Patient Communication

“…Another study involving medical students from the United Kingdom which assessed the relationship between the big five personality traits, perfectionism, and psychological distress concluded that low levels of conscientiousness and emotional stability were associated with poor mental health [14]. Moreover, the most common personality traits found in medical undergraduates from Egypt were agreeableness and openness [15]. Another field of study related various personality dimensions to the preference of a certain specialty among the medical students.…”