Observational Application Comparing Problem-Based Learning with the Conventional Teaching Method for Clinical Acupuncture Education

AIM: Although the problem-based learning (PBL) teaching method was introduced in 1969, its rapid and widespread application in Malaysia started in 1979. This study aimed to evaluate satisfaction with PBL compared to that of conventional learning, using satisfaction surveys and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scores, of students learning clinical acupuncture at the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Xiamen University Malaysia. METHOD: The participants of this study (N=36) were registered for a bachelor's degree program in TCM in 2016 and enrolled in the Science of Acupuncture and Moxibustion course beginning in September 2018. The students were randomly allocated into two groups: PBL group and conventional group. A self-administered learning satisfaction survey and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scores were used for data collection. An independent sample t-test was used to compare the results between the two groups. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The results of the learning satisfaction survey and Rosenberg Self-Esteem scores were significantly better in the PBL group than in the conventional group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PBL appears to be more effective for clinical acupuncture education than the conventional teaching method. However, further studies are needed to identify the mechanisms by which PBL excels in clinical acupuncture education, as well as other related TCM fields.