Learning styles in physiotherapy and occupational therapy students: an exploratory study

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Abstract

Background: Learning styles of health care professionals are unique and tend to be profession- specific. This study aimed to compare the learning styles of undergraduate occupational therapy and physiotherapy students and to determine the relationship between preferred learning styles, demographic factors, and academic performance.

Method: The study design was a cross-sectional, descriptive study. Undergraduate occupational therapy and physiotherapy students completed a self-developed questionnaire and the Grasha-Reichmann Learning Style Inventory.

Results: A total of 313 students with a mean age of 19.6±1.58 years participated in this study. The results showed that students preferred the collaborative (75%) learning style, with the first-year students scoring significantly higher in the collaborative style (3.97±0.48; p<0.001). The male students (2.67±0.65) scored higher in the competitive learning style than female students (2.20±0.62; p=0.001, d=0.757). The competitive learning style, when controlling for sociodemographic variables, is a significant predictor of an increase in academic performance in English language (B=2.28, [0.60-3.96]), physics (B=3.62, [0.22-7.02]) and overall academic performance (B=2.12, [0.34-3.90]).

Conclusion: The predominant preferred learning styles are the collaborative and participant styles. The application in the teaching space should be carefully considered for the selection of teaching approaches and activities. This study points to the Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy programmes need to align to the collaborative style and respond with a variety of teaching methods. The associations shown between preferred learning styles and demographic variables point to the need to pay attention to diversity when selecting teaching approaches and activities.

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Author Biographies

  • Benita Olivier, Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Qualifications: BSc, MSc Physiotherapy (Wits), MSc Motion Analysis (Dundee), PhD (Wits)

    Professor

  • Lizelle Jacobs, Occupational Therapy Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutic Sciences, University of Witwatersrand

    Qualifications: BOT (Pret), MSc OT (Brunel)

  • Vaneshveri Naidoo, Lecturer, Department of Physiotherapy, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Lecturer

    Qualifications: BSc (Physiotherapy), MSc (Physiotherapy)

  • Nikolas Pautz, Nottingham Trent University, Department of Psychology

    Qualifications: BA Psych (UNISA), MSSC (UKZN), PhD (UKZN)

  • Rulaine Smith, Lecturer Occupational Therapy Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Therapeutic Sciences, University of Witwatersrand

    Lecturer

    Qualifications: B.Occ Ther (Pret), Dip Vocational Rehabilitation (Pret)

  • Paula Barnard-Ashton, Senior Lecturer and Manager of eFundanathi; Faculty of Health Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand
    Senior Lecturer and Manager of eFundanathi
  • Adedayo Tunde Ajidahun, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Physiotherapy, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 

    Qualifications: BMR PT (Ife), MSc Physiotherapy (UWC), PhD Physiotherapy (Wits)

  • Hellen Myezwa, Professor, Head of School, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Professor, 

    Qualifications: MCSP (UK), MSc Community rehabilitation (Pretoria), MA Leadership Management and executive coaching (Wits), PhD Physiotherapy (Wits)

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Published

09-08-2021

How to Cite

Learning styles in physiotherapy and occupational therapy students: an exploratory study. (2021). South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 51(2), 39-48. https://journals.assaf.org.za/index.php/sajot/article/view/19454
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