Academic satisfaction among traditional and problem based learning medical students. A comparative study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pedagogy

Background:

• Traditional learning (TL) and problem-based learning (PBL) are distinct pedagogical approaches in medical education.
• Evaluating student academic satisfaction and identifying areas for improvement is crucial for curriculum development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare academic satisfaction and perceived importance between TL and PBL medical students.
• To identify specific areas of concern in academic education from the students' perspectives.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was conducted among medical students at King Saud University.
• Questionnaires assessed satisfaction with teaching, learning, supervision, course organization, IT facilities, and skill development.

Main Results:

• PBL students reported significantly higher satisfaction rates than TL students across all assessed domains (p ≤ 0.001).
• Key areas of dissatisfaction for TL students included supervision, teaching, and course organization.
• Importance ratings for educational components were similar between TL and PBL groups.

Conclusions:

• Problem-based learning (PBL) is a more effective method for enhancing medical student academic satisfaction compared to traditional learning (TL).
• Addressing issues in supervision, teaching, and course organization is vital for improving the traditional learning model.