Undergraduate Students in a Medical College in Manipur

Abstract

Background: Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is a studentcentred instrucƟonal strategy that begins with an openended clinical problem to drive self-directed inquiry, criƟcal thinking, and integraƟon of basic and clinical sciences. Its adopƟon in Indian medical curricula has been encouraged by the NaƟonal Medical Commission’s shiŌ to CompetencyBased Medical EducaƟon, yet comparaƟve data on PBL versus tradiƟonal lectures remain limited. ObjecƟve: To assess first-year MBBS students’ percepƟons of a four-week PBL module on pulmonary funcƟon tests and to compare these percepƟons with those of prior didacƟc lectures, including evaluaƟon of gender-based differences. Methods: A crosssecƟonal study was conducted between November 2023 and January 2024 among first-year MBBS students at a medical college in Manipur. Of the 100 students invited, 86 (86%) provided informed consent and completed four weeks PBL module and responded to a validated 14-item electronic quesƟonnaire. Responses were recorded on a fivepoint Likert scale, including three items explicitly comparing PBL to tradiƟonal lectures. DescripƟve staƟsƟcs, medians, and interquarƟle ranges were computed. Results: ParƟcipants had a mean age of 19 ± 2.5 years; 52.3% were male. High levels of agreement were noted for PBL in terms of engagement (75.6%), conceptual clarity (72.0%), and enhancement of problem-solving skills (74.4%). However, lower agreement was observed regarding usefulness for examinaƟon preparaƟon (26.6%), with a notable proporƟon expressing neutrality or disagreement regarding retenƟon (48.9%), self-directed learning (48.8%), orientaƟon adequacy (39.6%), and facilitator effecƟveness (37.2%). Overall preference for PBL was 59.3%, with no significant gender difference (U = 992.0; p = 0.541; r = 0.07). Conclusion: Students perceived PBL posiƟvely in terms of engagement and conceptual understanding; however, concerns related to retenƟon, examinaƟon readiness, and facilitaƟon quality suggest that PBL, in its current form, may not be sufficient as a standalone instrucƟonal method. A blended teaching strategy incorporaƟng structured lectures, formaƟve assessments, and facilitator training is recommended to opƟmise educaƟonal outcomes in competency-based medical educaƟon.