A Study of the Personal Traits and Knowledge Base of Taiwanese Medical Students on the Instruction Effects of Problem-Based Learning

Abstract

Problem based learning (PBL), a pedagogic concept using problems in context through student-centered and small group discussion approach, has been adopted in varying contexts for years in all medical institutes in Taiwan. Much evidence have shown that a number of factors can seriously affect student performance in PBL courses, such as the design of PBL scenarios, characters of the tutors, or the students’ attitudes and efforts. The purpose of this study is to examine how the personal traits or knowledge base of the Taiwanese medical students influence their performance on a hybrid-PBL curriculum. A total of 124 high-school entry undergraduate medical students participated in this survey. Self-assessed personal traits were presented in a 44-item questionnaire with a Big-Five factor structures. Knowledge base was assessed by the score point average (SPA) based on their previous four-year education in the medical school. Peer-assessed performance of students in PBL curriculum was carried out using a well-developed, reliable, and validated evaluation form.) Each student's PBL performance evaluated by peers can be extracted as five principal components, as control/lead, assist/coordinate, obey rules, observe/think, and compromise. The relationships among the personal traits, knowledge base, and PBL performance, as analyzed by stepwise regression, showed that conscientiousness and knowledge (i.e., SPA) were positively related to ”control/lead” trait, and extroversion was positively related to the trait of ”obey rules.” Agreeableness and conscientiousness were positively related to SPA. Knowledge base and personal traits appear to be associated with the students' performance on a hybrid-PBL curriculum. The positive correlation between the extroversion and obeying rules is puzzling, yet if might be explained in terms of the association between being sociable/assertive and the objectives of PBL spirits, which include open mindedness, and inter-personal skills. The implications of this study on the future development and the applications of this assessment tool in medical schools are proposed.