The Learning Preference Inventory.

The development, validity, and reliability of the Learning Preference Inventory (LPI) and its use with health professions' students and practitioners are described in this paper. The LPI yields six scores to register preferences for the following kinds of learning: Abstract, Concrete, Individual, Interpersonal, Student-structured, and Teacher-structured. The six scales of the LPI have been supported by factor analysis, thereby establishing content validity. Construct validity is demonstrated in studies with allied health and pharmacy students. Internal consistency reliabilities for the six scales range from .72 to .88. While the majority of allied health and pharmacy students tested prefer teacher-structured and concrete learning tasks and situations, many individuals differ from this pattern. Use of the LPI permits identification of individual learning preferences with a fair degree of accuracy. Ways to improve motivation for learning by adjusting teaching methods and assignments to learning preferences are suggested.