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Lee, Hong, and Chang: Effects of full problem based learning of dental students on self-directed learning, communication, and problem solving abilities
Original Article

J Korean Acad Oral Health 2016;40(4):277-284.

Published online: 15 December 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.11149/jkaoh.2016.40.4.277

Effects of full problem based learning of dental students on self-directed learning, communication, and problem solving abilities

Kang-Wook Lee1, Jin-Sil Hong1, Kee-Wan Chang1, 2,

1Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry, Chonbuk National University Dental School, Jeonju, Korea

2Institute of Oral-bio Science, Chonbuk National University Dental School, Jeonju, Korea

Corresponding Author: Kee-Wan Chang Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Chonbuk National University 567 Baekje-daero, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju 54896, Korea Tel: +82-63-270-4034 Fax: +82-63-270-4035 E-mail: prevdent@chonbuk.ac.kr

Received 19 December 2016       Revised 22 December 2016       Accepted 23 December 2016

Copyright © 2016 by Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of problem-based learning (PBL) on dental education to dental students. The following were investigated in this study: 1. Does PBL improve the ability of self-directed learning? 2. Does PBL change communication ability? 3. Does PBL change the strategy of problem solving?

Methods

The participants of this study were 39 students in the experimental group and 68 students in the control group. The measurement tools of this study were self-directed learning, communication, and problem solving abilities tests designed by the Korean Educational Development Institute. The data was analyzed by the two-way ANOVA and ANOVA with repeated measures.

Results

In self-directed learning ability during 3 semesters, the experimental group showed a U-shape change but the control group showed a reverse U-shape change. In the experimental group, the self-directed learning ability was decreased after one year (after the first and second semester). The level of communication ability decreased every day during the three semesters monitored in both the control and experimental groups. The level of communication ability in the experimental group continuously decreased during the three semesters, with the exception of one semester. Finally, for the problem solving ability during the three semesters, the experimental group showed a reverse U-shape change while the control group showed a U-shape change. In the experimental group, there was no change after two semesters.

Conclusions

On the basis of the findings in this study, the following conclusions can be made. First, problem-based learning has a positive educational effect compared to didactic-based learning within one year. Second, the appropriate length of PBL is two semesters, or one year. It could be recommended that dental education in Korea should be combined or hybridized with PBL; for example, PBL could be used in combination with brief lectures or block lectures by teachers.

Keywords: Communication, Dental education, PBL (problem based learning), Problem solving abilities, Self-directed learning

References

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Fig. 1.
Concept modeling of study.
jkaoh-40-277f1.tif
Fig. 2.
Estimated marginal means of self-directed learning ability.
jkaoh-40-277f2.tif
Fig. 3.
Estimated marginal means of communication ability by term and group.
jkaoh-40-277f3.tif
Fig. 4.
Estimated marginal means of problem-solving ability by term and group.
jkaoh-40-277f4.tif
Table 1.
Social demographic distribution and tested domain mean of experimental and control group before start of study
Domain Experimental group n=39 Control group n=68 P
Age* Mean SD Mean SD
28.6 2.8 29.7 3.6 .083
Sex* Male Female Male Female
23 16 44 24
59.0% 41.0% 64.7% 35.3% .350
Tested domain§ Mean SD Mean SD
SLA 62.97 6.78 62.82 7.37 .917
CA 48.69 5.31 48.76 5.57 .948
PSA 57.79 6.30 60.45 7.74 .071

SD: standard deviation, SLA: Self directed learning ability, CA: Communication ability, PSA: Problem-solving ability. *t-test,

§ ANOVA.

Table 2.
Reliability coefficient of questionnaire by domain and group immediately after entrance into a school
Tested domain Experimental group Control group
Self directed learning ability .748 .733
Communication ability .627 .658
Problem-solving ability .701 .779
Table 3.
Statistical analysis of self directed learning ability by experimental and control group
Source Sum of squares Degree of freedom Mean of square F value P§
Term number 17.69 1 17.69 .95 .330
Term No.*School 297.17 1 297.17 16.05 .000
Error (Term No.) 1,9439 105 18.50
Intercept 1,605,895 1 1,605,895 11,291 .000
School 261.85 1 261.85 1.84 .178
Error (school) 14,932 105 142.21

§ P-value by ANOVA.

Table 4.
Mean of self directed learning ability of experimental and control group by term
Term Experimental group
 Control group
N Mean SD N Mean SD
Immediately after entrance into a school 39 62.97a 6.78 68 62.82 7.37
After first term 39 65.56b 5.85 68 62.01 7.65
After second term 39 65.48b 7.06 68 62.32 7.28
After third term 39 63.76a,b 5.64 68 64.13 7.63

The questionnaire had 18 items with 5 scales of Likert (total lower limit 18, upper 90). There were statistically significancies between different letters by ANOVA and Tukey.

Table 5.
Statistical analysis of communication ability by experimental and control group
Source Sum of squares Degree of freedom Mean of square F value P§
Term number 160.15 1 160.15 14.20 .000
Term No.*School 15.82 1 15.82 1.40 .239
Error (Term No.) 1,183 105 11.27
Intercept 904,268 1 904,268 11,828 .000
School 105.98 1 105.98 1.38 .242
Error (school) 8,027 105 76.44

§ P-value by ANOVA.

Table 6.
Mean of communication ability of experimental and control group by term
Term Experimental group
 Control group
Sample number Mean SD Sample number Mean SD
Immediately after entrance into a school 39 48.69 5.31 68 48.76 5.57
After first term 39 48.71 4.12 68 47.17 5.24
After second term 39 48.05 4.82 68 46.50 5.28
After third term 39 47.61 4.30 68 46.50 4.98

The questionnaire had 14 items with 5 scales of Likert (total lower limit 14, upper 70). There were not statistically significancies among terms by ANOVA.

Table 7.
Statistical analysis of problem-solving ability by experimental and control group
Source Sum of squares Degree of freedom Mean of square F value P§
Term number 43.12 1 43.12 2.00 .159
Term No.*School 368.80 1 368.80 17.18 .000
Error (Term No.) 2,253.89 105 21.46
Intercept 1,404,004 1 1,404,004 8,525 .000
School 12.11 1 12.11 .07 .787
Error (school) 17,291 105 164.67

§ P-value by ANOVA.

Table 8.
Mean of problem-solving ability of experimental and control group by term
Term Experimental group
 Control group
Sample number Mean SD Sample number r Mean SD
Immediately after entrance into a school 39 57.79a 6.30 68 60.45 7.74
After first term 39 60.38b 6.47 68 57.94 8.18
After second term 39 59.53a,b 5.52 68 58.82 8.18
After third term 39 59.58a,b 6.21 68 61.48 8.36

The questionnaire had 18 items with 5 scales of Likert (total lower limit 18, upper 90). There were statistically significancies between different letters by ANOVA and Tukey.

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