How Learning Styles Characterize Medical Students, Surgical Residents, Medical Staff, and General Surgery Teachers While Learning Surgery: Scoping Review

Abstract

Background: Learning style is a biologically and developmentally imposed configuration of personal characteristics that makes the same teaching method effective for some and ineffective for others. Studies support a relationship between learning style and career choice, resulting in learning style patterns observed in distinct types of residency programs, which can also be applied to general surgery, from medical school to the latest stages of training. The methodologies, populations, and contexts of the few studies pertinent to the matter are very different from one another, and a scoping review on this theme will unequivocally enhance and organize what is already known.

Objective: The goal of this study is to identify and map out data from studies that report on learning styles in medical students, surgical residents, medical staff, and surgical teachers.

Methods: The search strategy was performed on September 25, 2023, by a librarian and digital search strategy expert, through the descriptors "learning, style" and "surgery." The databases consulted were Embase, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and PubMed through descriptors and their synonyms, according to MeSH (Medical Subject Headings). Of the 213 articles found, 135 articles remained after the exclusion of duplicates. The remaining 78 articles were analyzed by 3 of the researchers independently. A total of 27 articles were selected, and 2 articles were excluded because the full article was not found.

Results: A total of 25 articles were included in the review. A total of 96% (n=24) of the articles used cognitive theories as their theoretical basis. Regarding learning style instruments, 36% (n=9) articles used the visual, aural, read, and kinesthetic learning method instrument, and 40% (n=10) articles chose Kolb's learning style inventory. The papers concentrate especially on the 2010s, and most of them are from North America (16/25, 64%) or Europe (6/25, 24%). The smallest study had 15 participants and the biggest had 1549 participants. The included studies primarily focused on surgical residents (21/25, 84%), with fewer targeting faculty and staff (9/25, 36%). The primary objectives of the studies were to investigate the relationship between learning styles and performance (15/25, 60%), gender differences (7/25, 28%), changes over time (4/25, 16%), and motivation (3/25, 12%).

Conclusions: This scoping review reveals a limited and geographically concentrated body of research on learning styles in surgery education, primarily focusing on surgical residents and using Kolb's learning style inventory and visual, aural, read, and kinesthetic learning method instruments. Considerable gaps exist regarding geographical diversity and the study of medical staff and faculty. These findings underscore the need for future research with a broader scope to better inform educational strategies in surgery.

Keywords: scoping review; PRISMA; cognitive theories; general surgery; learning styles; medical faculty; medical saff; medical school; students; surgical residents.

Figure 1.. PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) flow diagram of learning styles in general surgery.

Figure 2.. Map of previous studies conducted around the globe regarding learning styles and surgery.

Figure 3.. Number of articles with each population.