Center for Medical Education and Clinical Training, Shinshu University, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, 3908621, Japan.
Medical Education Centre, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke-shi, Tochigi, Japan.
BMC Med Educ. 2021 Apr 21;21(1):222. doi: 10.1186/s12909-021-02667-y.
Problem-based learning (PBL) is classified as a collaborative learning approach, wherein students learn while contributing meaning to experiences and interactions with others. An important theoretical fundament of PBL is social interdependence theory (SIT) because positive social interdependence within a group has been found to be key to better learning performance and future attitudes towards team practice. However, most previous studies in health professions education focused on cognitive outcomes, and few studies have focused on collaborative behaviors in PBL groups. The lack of this empirical insight makes implementation of PBL difficult, especially in contexts where there is limited experience with collaborative learning. Therefore, the aim of this study was to elucidate what promotes or hinders positive social interdependence and how the attributes work during PBL.
We conducted four focus groups among clinical year medical students (n = 26) who participated in PBL tutorials in the formal curriculum. We asked semi-structured questions that corresponded with the overall concept of SIT. We analyzed the transcript using constructivist grounded theory and developed a model to explain contextual attributes that promote or hinder positive social interdependence in PBL.
Two contextual attributes of "academic inquisition" and "desire for efficiency" affect social interdependence among a student group in PBL. Academic inquisition is students' desire to engage in their academic learning, and desire for efficiency is students' attitude toward learning as an imposed duty and desire to complete it as quickly as possible. These attributes are initially mutually conflicting and constructing social interdependence through multiple steps including inquisition from a case, seeking efficient work, sharing interest in problem solving, expecting mutual contributions, and complementing learning objectives.
These findings will contribute to understanding collaborative learning environments in PBL and may help explain contexts where PBL is less successful. The model can also be used as a tool to support innovation of PBL as collaborative learning.
问题式学习（PBL）被归类为一种协作学习方法，学生在与他人的经验和互动中学习并赋予其意义。PBL 的一个重要理论基础是社会相互依存理论（SIT），因为在小组内形成积极的社会相互依存关系被认为是提高学习成绩和对团队实践未来态度的关键。然而，大多数先前在健康专业教育领域的研究都集中在认知结果上，很少有研究关注 PBL 小组中的协作行为。缺乏这一实证洞察力使得 PBL 的实施变得困难，尤其是在协作学习经验有限的情况下。因此，本研究的目的是阐明是什么促进或阻碍了积极的社会相互依存关系，以及这些属性在 PBL 中是如何发挥作用的。
我们在参与正式课程 PBL 辅导的临床医学生（n=26）中进行了四次焦点小组讨论。我们提出了与 SIT 总体概念相对应的半结构化问题。我们使用建构主义扎根理论分析了转录本，并开发了一个模型来解释促进或阻碍 PBL 中积极社会相互依存关系的情境属性。
“学术探究”和“追求效率”这两个情境属性影响了 PBL 中学生群体的社会相互依存关系。学术探究是学生对参与学术学习的渴望，而追求效率是学生对学习的态度，认为学习是强加的任务，并希望尽快完成。这些属性最初是相互冲突的，通过多个步骤构建社会相互依存关系，包括从案例中进行探究、寻求高效工作、对解决问题产生兴趣、期望相互贡献以及补充学习目标。
这些发现将有助于理解 PBL 中的协作学习环境，并可能有助于解释 PBL 不太成功的情况。该模型还可以用作支持 PBL 作为协作学习创新的工具。
