Problem-based Learning for Police Academy Students: Comparison of Those Receiving Such Instruction with Those in Traditional Programs

Abstract

Using a non-equivalent comparison group exploratory quasi-experimental design, this study explored the perceptions of police academy trainees toward their problem-based learning instruction as compared to police academy trainees who received their training via a more traditional lecture-based method. A statistically significant difference was found for only one of four instructional modules reviewed in the study, whereby students taught using the problem-based learning methodology perceived their problem-solving and critical thinking skills were improved more than students who had attended police academies taught via the traditional lecture method. For the other three modules, the problem-based group had slightly higher means for nearly all areas examined, but the differences were not statistically significant. Open-ended student responses and faculty input favored the problem-based approach. These mixed, primarily non-significant findings are similar to research conducted on problem-based teaching methodologies in the medical field, and suggest the need for further research on this model of teaching and learning within police academies.