Intervention study: Learning strategies used by the First-Year medical students at the Faculty of Medicine in Dokuz Eylül University

Aim: The aims of this study were, to examine the effect of learning strategies training and to investigate how metacognitive awareness is related the learning strategies which use studying and to evaluate the relation between learning strategies of student and their academic achievement. Methods: This study is an intervention study with having descriptive components. An experimental and control group design was used. The study was carried out in 315 first - year medical students at The Faculty of Medicine at Dokuz Eylül University in 2012-2013 academic year. Pretest was administered in January 2013 and after the learning strategies training pretest was carried out. Posttest was administered in May 2013. For data collection, a personal information, Metacognitive Awareness Scala and Learning Strategies Scala were used in this study. Data were analyzed after the validity and reliability analysis were conducted for both scales. Results: Experimental group was composed of 84 students who responded pre and post test and participated in training. Control group was composed of 124 students who responded posttest and didn't participate in training. As a result of study, it had been found that there significant difference in learning strategies of students in terms of their gender. According to the results, the analysis found no significant difference between experimental and control groups. A weak and positive correlation was found between metacognitive awareness and iteration strategies. Year-end grade there is no correlation between learning strategies that they have used when analyzed by checking the effect of training. Conclusion: More long term learning strategies training course can be helpful for students' academic succes. In order to see the changes that occured over the years may be useful in studies comparing freshman with older students. Keywords: learning strategies, learning strategies training, medical education, academic achievement.