Uncovering The Link Between Kolb's Learning Styles and Clinical Competence Among Undergraduate Nursing Students in Pakistan: A Descriptive-Correlational Study

Abstract

Background: Learning styles can impact the way nursing students learn, process, and utilize knowledge and skills during clinical practice. Although previous research has examined learning styles and clinical competence separately, limited evidence has directly linked contemporary Kolb-based learning dimensions with clinical competence, particularly in Pakistan. This study examined their relationship among undergraduate nursing students and addressed this contextual and conceptual gap.
Methods: The study used descriptive-correlational design and targeted undergraduate students of nursing from selected nursing institutes of Lahore, Pakistan. Data were collected using a 30-item Learning Styles Scale covering Initiating/Deciding, Experiencing/Acting, Creating/Imagining, Reflecting, Analyzing/Thinking, and Balancing, and a 47-item Clinical Competencies Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression in SPSS version 27.0.
Results: A total of 865 questionnaires were collected; 797 questionnaires were suitable for analysis. The learning-style dimension most prevalent was reflecting, and the highest rated clinical competency area was Therapeutic Measures. Each of the six learning style dimensions was significantly and positively related to clinical competence. The total variance in clinical competence was explained by the learning styles together. Balancing proved to be the most significant predictor, while Initiating/Deciding was not an independent predictor of clinical competence.
Conclusion: This study is based on the novel evidence that relates contemporary Kolb's learning dimensions to clinical competence in the Pakistani context of nursing education. The findings contribute to nursing education by highlighting learner diversity and supporting the use of varied experiential, reflective, analytical, and practical learning opportunities to strengthen students’ clinical preparation.