Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
Child Dental Health, Faculty of Dental Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
Eur J Dent Educ. 2020 May;24(2):207-212. doi: 10.1111/eje.12486. Epub 2019 Dec 6.
To evaluate the perceptions of dental students on problem-based learning, PBL, in comparison with the traditional lecture (TL) method.
This comparative study was conducted amongst 72 dental undergraduates. PBL was introduced to the students before the commencement of course. PBL method was used by the student to learn about cariology, whilst other lecture topics were taught by the TL. Students were not informed at the beginning of the course about end of course assessment of learning and teaching methods to limit their bias. The study was approved by the institution's ethics committee, and informed consent was obtained from participants at the end of the course to recruit them into the study. The students worked in small groups to solve tasks on clinical case scenarios. Four class sessions were held for presentations and discussions. The students' perceptions concerning the two teaching methods were sought by the use of an anonymously completed questionnaire. Six perceived factors that influenced the teaching and learning process were extracted from the twenty-two-perception-item questionnaire using factor analysis. Paired sample t test was used for comparison of means.
The highest mean scores for all six perceived factors were observed in the PBL method. There were statistically significant differences (P < .05) between PBL and TL teaching methods for all the perceived factors; ("Challenge critical thinking," "Communication with peers," "Usefulness as pedagogical method," "Organization" and "Interaction between students and tutors") except for the perceived factor "Adequacy of teaching." The mean for most of the perception items was highest in the PBL method compared to TL. The perception item "Able to provide intellectual stimulation" had the highest mean score (4.21 ± 0.76) for the PBL method, whilst it was "Laboratory exercise" (4.14 ± 0.68) for TL.
Students' perception of the two educational methods investigated showed a preference for the PBL method. The students felt that PBL provided a higher ability for intellectual stimulation.
评估牙科学生对基于问题的学习（PBL）的看法，与传统讲座（TL）方法进行比较。
本研究为一项比较研究，共纳入 72 名牙科学本科生。在课程开始前向学生介绍 PBL。学生使用 PBL 方法学习龋病学，而其他讲座主题则由 TL 教授。在课程开始时，学生并未被告知课程结束时的学习评估和教学方法，以限制他们的偏见。该研究获得了机构伦理委员会的批准，并在课程结束时获得了参与者的知情同意，以招募他们参与研究。学生以小组形式解决临床病例场景中的任务。举行了四节课进行演示和讨论。使用匿名填写的问卷征求学生对两种教学方法的看法。从 22 个感知项目问卷中提取了六个影响教学过程的感知因素，使用因子分析进行分析。使用配对样本 t 检验比较均值。
所有六个感知因素的最高平均得分都出现在 PBL 方法中。PBL 和 TL 教学方法在所有感知因素上均存在统计学差异（P<.05）；除了感知因素“教学的充分性”外，还有“挑战批判性思维”、“与同龄人沟通”、“作为教学方法的有用性”、“组织”和“学生与导师之间的互动”。与 TL 相比，PBL 方法中大多数感知项目的平均值最高。PBL 方法中感知项目“能够提供智力刺激”的平均得分最高（4.21±0.76），而 TL 则为“实验室练习”（4.14±0.68）。
学生对所调查的两种教育方法的看法表明他们更喜欢 PBL 方法。学生们认为 PBL 提供了更高的智力刺激能力。
