Introduction:

Recognizing the learning styles of medical students can allow teaching hospitals to make adjustments to their teaching styles and methodologies.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to characterize learning styles of first-year medical students of the National University of Asunción (Paraguay), through the Honey-Alonso Questionnaire.

Methodology:

Observational, transversal and analytical study, with non-probabilistic sampling of consecutive cases. The questionnaire was applied to 181 students, in order to determine a score that rated the learning profile of each one. The data analysis covered the average distribution of the score that establishes the learning profile for the total sample and the percentage distribution of the preferences according to the styles, in line to the interpretation of Alonso and collaborators.

Results:

The results reported that the styles with the highest average scores were the reflexive (mean=15.86±2.599) and the theoretical, (mean=14.52±2.740). These were followed by the pragmatic (mean=13.15±2.678) and, finally, the active style (mean=9.51±3.260). The analytical study of the variables reported that there was a relationship between reflexive and pragmatic styles and gender. No association was found between other type of variables and the preferred learning styles.

Conclusions:

This research identified a possible weakness in Paraguayan medical students, who have very little preference for the active style when starting their University life. This could hinder the teaching-learning process, so the National University of Asuncion should ensure that it educational plans and it teaching guides include strategies to address this problem of medical education.

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