Abstract
Background: Learning styles, as defined by the VARK (Visual, Auditory, Read/write, Kinesthetic) framework, represent distinct patterns in how students perceive, process, and retain information.Understanding the prevalence of different learning styles and their impact on academic performance is crucial for optimizing educational strategies, particularly in medical education. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the distribution of learning styles among medical students and examine their association with academic performance. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a public sector medical university in Lahore, involving 311 undergraduate medical students from years 2-5. Participants were selected using non-probability convenience sampling. Data collection utilized the validated VARK questionnaire, administered through Google Forms after obtaining ethical approval and informed consent. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS (Version 27.0), with Chi-square tests examining associations between learning styles and academic performance. Results: Among the participants (mean age 21.77 ± 0.122 years; 58.8% male), 66.2% preferred multimodal learning strategies, while 33.8% used unimodal methods. Of unimodal learners, reading/writing was most prevalent (15.76%), followed by visual (7.30%), kinesthetic (5.4%), and auditory (5.1%) styles. Chi-square analysis revealed no significant association between learning styles and academic performance (χ² = 7.33, p = 0.696). Conclusion: While multimodal learning approaches predominate among medical students at the current study setting, learning style preferences do not significantly influence academic performance. These findings suggest that educational strategies should incorporate diverse teaching methods while considering other factors that may impact academic success. Future research should explore additional variables that influence learning outcomes in medical education.