Pros And Cons Of Problem-Based Learning In Medical Education: Students’ Viewpoint.

ABSTRACT

Background and Objectives: Problem-based learning (PBL) is an innovative educational approach in which the students determine what they need to learn. The present study was done to review the pros and cons of PBL, with the aim to introduce reforms in the traditional teaching methodology.Methods: A total of 200 MBBS students participated in the study. Six PBL exercises were allotted to the students and after their completion, they were asked to fill the questionnaire regarding their perceptions about PBL on a 5-point Likert scale, as well as open ended questions to elicit two reasons each for liking and disliking PBL.Results: Regarding the students’ perceptions, the mean/median scores of all the items was found to be ≥ 3, indicating the positive inclination of students towards PBL. The major favourable factors of PBL were the opportunity of group discussion (16%) and better understanding (15.8%). The major drawbacks in PBL were that preparation required more time (20.5%), inadequate discussion (12.8%) and large group size(11.0%) Interpretation and Conclusion: Students generally favour PBL, as it enhances their ability to handle and solve real-life problems; however, few of the challenges are also accompanied with it which should be looked into to improvise it.