Preferred cognitive processing and metacognitive regulatory strategies of medical students with different hemisphericity and their academic achievement at different learning environments

By the impact of constructivist approach in education, learners? properties such as hemisphericity and learning strategies have come into prominence and learning environment and assessment methods compatible with learners? properties have become important topics for investigation. Regarding this context, the first aim of present study was to determine the relationship between medical students? hemispheric preferences and learning strategies (cognitive processing and metacognitive regulatory strategies). Furthermore, the impact of the hemispheric preferences and learning strategies on their academic achievements was also investigated. A total of 333 preclinical years medical students participated in this study; their hemispheric preferences were determined by Torrance & Taggart?s Human Information Processing Inventory. Learning strategies of students were assessed by the first part of Vermunt?s Inventory of Learning Style. In order to compare academic achievements of students with different hemispheric tendency, their exam scores which based on different type of learning environments were analyzed Pearson correlation, multiple regression analysis and MANOVA test were used for statistical analysis and a p value of smaller than 0,05 was considered as significant. Considering their hemisphericity, 51,8 % of students had mixed, 29,6 % had right serebral hemispheric preference, 11,3 % had left serebral hemispheric preference and 7,3 % of them had both right and left hemispheric preference (integrated). In regression analysis, selfregulated learning strategy predicted all cognitive processing strategies, whereas external regulation predicted only stepwise processing strategy. The results of MANOVA showed that students having different hemisphericity significantly differed in their cognitive processing (p<0.01) and metacognitive regulatory (p<0.001) strategies preferences. Their academic achievements also showed significant difference (p<0.05). It was concluded that learning strategies preference may differ in certain aspects among students who are having different hemisphericity and this may have effect on academic achievements of students. Key Words: Brain-based learning, problem-based learning, experiential learning, assessment