Perception, Knowledge, and Attitude of Problem-based Learning among Dental College Students in India: A Closed-ended Questionnaire Study

CONTEXT: Problem-based learning (PBL) is mostly a student-centered learning method, and it is a new method used in medical and dental education all over the world. In India, PBL is a part of the learning process sparingly followed. Contrary to other institutions, PBL has been introduced in dental curriculum along with the traditional curriculum very recently. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the newly introduced PBL curriculum among the dental students using a closed-ended questionnaire on a five-point scale. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The questionnaire on PBL was prepared in Google Forms, comprising 22 closed-ended questions on a five-point Likert scale, ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). We carried out a pilot study in 10% of the target population to check validity and feasibility. Final study was conducted in the targeted population of 185 dental students who had undergone PBL sessions. RESULTS: The responses for the questionnaire thus received from the students were compiled and analyzed using Google Forms software. Overall rating of PBL by the respondents was as follows. The majority of the student’s responses were agreed with 54.6% and a significant number of students strongly agreed with PBL at 33%. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the responses of the students on aspects of group learning, imparting content knowledge, improvement of group skills, improvement of communication skills, and carrying out self-directed learning within the Indian context of dental health education.