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Stander J.1, Grimmer K.1,2, Brink Y.1
1Stellenbosch University, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa, 2University of South Australia, International Centre for Allied Health Evidence, School of Health Sciences, Adelaide, Australia
Background: An understanding of learners' learning styles is an essential component of delivering quality education. Physiotherapy learners include those enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate training courses, and those seeking professional development. Knowing more about learning styles of different physiotherapy learners may assist educators to better plan learning activities. Moreover by incorporating different types of learning activities and instructing methods into teaching, it will assist physiotherapy learners to expand their own learning styles to maximise learning experiences.
Purpose: The purpose of this scoping review was to describe physiotherapy learners' learning styles.
Methods: Nine electronic databases (CINAHL, BIOMED CENTRAL, Cochrane, Web of Science, PROQUEST, PUBMED, OTseeker, Scopus, ERIC) were searched using the following keywords: "learning styles" AND ("Allied Health Occupations" OR physiotherapy OR physical therapy). Primary research articles that described the learning styles of physiotherapy learners were sought. An adapted Arksey and OMalley framework was used for the review to ensure a systematic search, literature evaluation and descriptive synthesis of current research evidence for this topic.
Results: Eleven articles were included in this review. Seven of the 11 studies explicitly used the Kolbs experiential learning theory; one study used the work of Honey and Mumford; one used the Gregorc model of cognition and two studies did not specify an underlying theory for their studies. The primary outcome that was assessed by all studies was the preferred learning styles of physiotherapists. Secondary outcomes that were assessed were preferred teaching methods, problem-solving abilities and instructional activities. The subjects studied included 763 undergraduates, 281 postgraduates and 23 professionals. The outcome measures used were different versions of the Kolbs Learning Style Inventory, the visual-aural-read/write-kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire, the Gregorc style delineator, Honey and Mumford Learning Style Questionnaire, the Index of Learning Styles, and the Problem-Solving Style Questionnaire.
The most preferred learning style, according to the Kolbs model of experiential learning, was reported as Converger (learns by being hands-on and applying previously attained knowledge) or Assimilator (gathers information and organises it to make the most sense). However, these findings are mostly from undergraduate physiotherapy students. Culture has been proposed to influence learning styles through a change in the way information is processed and utilised and this could influence the results of the included studies as they were conducted in different countries, including Australia (4 studies), USA
(2 studies), Saudi Arabia, India, South Africa, Israel and Bahrain, each with cultural differences.
Conclusion(s): Physiotherapists appear to have a specific learning style through active participation, underpinned with practical examples of theoretical concepts. This has implications on the success of the methods of teaching employed.
Implications: More studies need to focus on the preferred and effective learning styles of physiotherapy professionals, especially in the light of the drive of implementation sciences to educate professionals on the improved use of evidence-based practice and continued professional education that is a requirement for practicing physiotherapists in many countries. With limited resources (time, financial and human), the professionals need to be educated by means of optimal learning modalities that best address their unique learning styles and needs.
Funding acknowledgements: The study was not funded.
Topic: Education
Ethics approval: No ethics approval was required for the study.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
