Learning styles and academic performance of nursing students in St. Dominic College of Asia

Some nursing students have different styles of learning that resulted in the outcome of their academic performance. The researchers determined the learning styles and academic performance of nursing students in St. Dominic College of Asia. Descriptive correlation type of research design was employed, a questionnaire, and the grades of level 2 nursing students from the registrar were used as sources of data. The tool was adopted from Fleming’s VARK model to describe the learning styles of the respondents. Frequency and percentage distribution, and chi-square were used to statistically treat the data. Based on the data gathered, majority of the second year nursing students used kinesthetic type of learning which takes place by the student carrying out a physical activity, rather than listening to a lecture or watching a demonstration. It was followed by auditory a learning style, in which a person learns through listening. An auditory learner depends on learning and speaking as the main way of learning. While the ‘read and write’ learners preferred to read the instruction or book rather than watching it or listening to it. Lastly, visual learners are discussed where concepts, data and gathering information are associated with images and techniques. It is therefore concluded that kinesthetic style is the most preferred learning style of nursing students. There is also a very satisfactory academic performance among nursing students. There is a significant relationship between learning styles and academic performance of second year nursing students in St. Dominic College of Asia. It is therefore recommended that implementing effective teaching and learning activities that are suitable for students’ learning styles will result in a good academic performance.