Acquisition of knowledge, generic skills and attitudes through problem-based learning: Student perspectives in a hybrid curriculum
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Objective To investigate students' perceptions of problem-based learning in the acquisition of relevant knowledge, generic skills and attitudes in a setting where this is a vital component of the medical undergraduate hybrid curriculum. Methods 464 undergraduate medical students in four consecutive batches (two in the first year and two in the second year of the medicine programme) at Melaka Manipal Medical College were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. A pre-validated questionnaire with 15 items classified into three domains addressing acquisition of knowledge, generic skills and attitudes was developed and administered to all students, who responded on a five-point Likert scale. Results Problem-based learning improved the students' acquisition of knowledge, generic skills and attitudes, with positive correlations (0.451–0.72) between scores in all three domains. Problem-based learning affected not only typical competence in interpersonal and cognitive domains but also more general work-related skills considered important for success in professional practice. Conclusions Problem-based learning in small groups provided students with a favourable, safe environment for developing the necessary skills and attitudes. This study not only fills a gap but also shows the advantages of problem-based learning as perceived by students in a hybrid medical curriculum.
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Students perceived PBL positively for teamwork, communication skills and interpersonal relations.
“Students perceived PBL positively for teamwork, communication skills and interpersonal relations [44, 45, 67, 75, 82].”
From Effectiveness of problem-based learning methodology in undergraduate medical education: a scoping review (2022) · cites this paper as [45]
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- Authors
- Hande, S., Mohammed, C. A., & Komattil, R.
- Affiliations
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education (IN)
- Corresponding author
- Hande, S.
- Venue
- Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-03
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 21-25
- ISSN
- 1658-3612 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2081913955
- Cited by
- 44
- References
- 14
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 12 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 15.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Problem and Project Based Learning
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Innovations in Medical Education
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Biomedical and Engineering Education
- Keywords
- problem-based learning, hybrid curriculum, undergraduate medical education, transferable skills, attitudes, knowledge acquisition, student perceptions, small group learning, employability skills, social skills
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