Nursing Students’ Learning Styles and Attitudes Towards Learning: A Cross-Sectional Study

Authors : Simge Evrenol Öçal, Seda Çetin Avci, Gülşen Işik, Ilknur Yeşilçinar, Sakine Zeyna Can, Nuray Egelioğlu Cetişli

Pages : 227-236

Doi:10.53478/yuksekogretim.1252746

View : 246 | Download : 331

Publication Date : 2023-10-13

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Learning is a unique process for each individual. The different ways in which each student uses the stages of the learning cycle explain the individual differences in learning. This study was conducted to determine the learning styles and attitudes of nursing students towards learning. The main aim of nursing education is to train competent nurses who have cognitive, social, emotional, and psychomotor skills and are able to provide holistic care and have lifelong learning skills. To achieve these goals, it is important to design an education process that focuses on the learning styles of students rather than just traditional teaching methods. Having knowledge about students’ learning styles contributes positively to learning skills and attitudes towards learning. A cross-sectional research design was used to examine nursing students’ learning styles and attitudes towards learning. A total of 444 undergraduate nursing students at a public university participated in this study. Data were collected using the Socio-Demographic Characteristics Form, Learning Styles Inventory, and The Scale of Attitudes Towards Learning with an online questionnaire during the 2021-2022 academic year. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U test. Of the nursing students, 59.2% had a learning style by doing, 83.4% by feeling, 85.6% by visual, and 63.7% by sequential. The mean score of the Attitudes towards Learning Scale was determined to be 153.26±11.16. Nursing students’ attitudes and expectations towards learning were positive. Students who have thinking and verbal learning styles have more positive attitudes toward learning. It is recommended to determine students’ learning styles and use appropriate learning methods for students in nursing education. It is thought that the effective use of verbal learning resources for facilitating the learning of nursing students will positively affect the students’ learning processes.
Keywords : Hemşirelik öğrencileri, hemşirelik eğitimi, öğrenme, tutum, Nursing students, nursing education, learning, attitude