Abstract
In the dynamic landscape of medical education, recognizing and catering to the diverse learning styles of students are pivotal for fostering academic success. This study investigates the intricate relationship between learning styles and academic performance among medical students. A sample comprising 201 second-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students from two batches participated in this cross-sectional study. Utilizing the Grasha-Riechmann Student Learning Style Scales, students were categorized into six distinct learning styles: independent, avoidant, collaborative, dependent, competitive, and participatory. Academic performance was assessed through cumulative scores at the end of the academic year. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation analysis, and the Kruskal-Wallis H test, were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25, (Released 2017; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). The findings revealed a rich diversity of learning styles among medical students, with independent learning emerging as the most prevalent style. However, intriguingly, no statistically significant difference in academic performance was discerned across the various learning styles. Nonetheless, correlation analysis uncovered weak positive correlations between independent, dependent, and participatory learning styles with academic performance, while an equally weak negative correlation was observed for the avoidant style. These results underscore the necessity for tailored educational strategies that can accommodate the heterogeneous learning preferences exhibited by medical students. While certain learning styles may be favoured by students, their adoption does not guarantee academic success. Thus, educators are urged to embrace flexible teaching methodologies to accommodate the diverse learning styles present within medical education, ultimately fostering student engagement and achievement. This study illuminates the imperative of understanding and addressing diverse learning styles among medical students, laying the foundation for further research into optimizing teaching methodologies in medical education.