Learning styles and satisfaction with educational activities among paediatric physicians at King Abdulaziz Medical City Jeddah

ObjectivesFew studies have evaluated the degree of satisfaction of paediatricians with the academic instructional methods and the association of that satisfaction with their learning styles (LSs). The purpose of this research was to determine the correlation between paediatricians' LSs and their satisfaction with different instructional strategies.MethodsThis cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Pediatric Department of King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC)-Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The instruments used in the survey were the David Kolb LS inventory and a modified student satisfaction survey based on a similar survey from Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan. A self-administered questionnaire was administered using LSs and demographic data as the predictor variables. The satisfaction level of the physicians was considered the outcome variable.ResultsA total of 75 paediatricians were included in this study (mean age 36 ± 8.9 years, 52% males). Overall, no single predominant LS was reported; an approximately equal distribution of LSs was observed among the paediatricians. The satisfaction scores of the paediatricians showed that they were generally satisfied; however, the mean satisfaction score for education was only 68%. No correlation was found between LS types and the degree of satisfaction with instructional methods.ConclusionsNo single predominant LS was observed among the paediatricians of KAMC-Jeddah. The respondents showed an average level of satisfaction with the educational strategies. There were no correlations between the different LS types and the paediatricians' degrees of satisfaction with the instructional methods used. The results of this study suggest that the preparation of an educational training program may not require the consideration of LS. Further studies exploring the high level of dissatisfaction with instructional methods in paediatricians are recommended.