Table 2.

Proxies used to connect the included studies’ results to the research questions (RQs). The supporting evidence column provides available evidence in the literature about the association between the learning preference, style, or strategy and the proxies used.

Learning preference or strategy	Proxy	Source of the learning preference or strategy	Supporting evidence	RQ
Watching	Visual	Customized survey designed by Micheel et al [41]	Tendency toward watching lectures can be equivalent to a preference for visuals [41]	RQ1
Lecture	Visual	Customized survey designed by Abrahamsson and Dávila Lopez [55]	Tendency toward watching lectures can be equivalent to a preference for visuals [55]	RQ1
Assimilator	Visual	Kolb learning style inventory [57]	Assimilators are interested in learning through visual materials, such as videos and figures [57]	RQ1
Active	Teamwork	Felder and Soloman Index of Learning Styles [58,59]	Active students tend to work as a group and discuss learning materials with others [58,59]	RQ2
External	Teamwork	Danish Self-Assessment Learning Styles Inventory based on the theory propounded by Sternberg [60,65]	External students tend to work in a team and collaborate with others to solve problems [60,65]	RQ2
Internal	Independent work	Danish Self-Assessment Learning Styles Inventory based on the theory propounded by Sternberg [60,65]	Internal students prefer to work alone without communication with others [60,65]	RQ2
Reflective	Independent work	Felder and Soloman Index of Learning Styles [58,59]	Reflective learners are inclined to work alone or communicate with a close friend instead of a large group [58,59]	RQ2
Sequential	Sequential	Felder and Soloman Index of Learning Styles [58,59]	Sequential students have a linear learning process, which means they prefer to gain knowledge by following incremental and logical steps [58,59]	RQ3
Assimilator	Sequential	Kolb learning style inventory [57]	Assimilator students can organize the gained knowledge in a logical and clear format [57]	RQ3
Sensing	Factual information	Felder and Soloman Index of Learning Styles [58,59]	Sensing learners are interested in facts and concrete concepts, and they prefer exploring detailed information and intend to solve problems with standard approaches rather than innovative ones [58,59]	RQ4
Intuitive	Abstract information	Felder and Soloman Index of Learning Styles [58,59]	Intuitive learners are enthusiastic about abstract information, such as theories, and the deep meaning of learning materials [58,59]	RQ4
Global	Abstract information	Danish Self-Assessment Learning Styles Inventory based on the theory propounded by Sternberg [60,65]	Global students have the desire to solve abstract and huge problems [60,65]	RQ4
Local	Factual information	Danish Self-Assessment Learning Styles Inventory based on the theory propounded by Sternberg [60,65]	Local students prefer problems that need detailed and realistic solutions [60,65]	RQ4
Assimilator	Abstract information	Kolb learning style inventory [57]	Assimilators tend to prefer abstract ideas and concepts and are capable of perceiving a diverse range of information [57,66]	RQ4
Task oriented	Factual information	Customized survey designed by Gelbart et al [56]	The task-oriented student pair preferred specific tasks, and they did not always stay involved in all research steps; therefore, they only got a basic idea of what the research was about. They concentrated more on learning the details [56]	RQ4
Research oriented	Abstract information	Customized survey designed by Gelbart et al [56]	Research-oriented students are high achievers who are highly motivated to learn concepts with a deep understanding. They focus on generating abstract ideas and explanations that are connected to theoretical concepts [56]	RQ4