Knowledge Construction in Problem-Based Learning: A Lag-Sequential Analysis of Teachers' and Students' Discourse...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Social Sciences
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Problem-based learning (PBL) is a global standard in medical education.
• The sequential dynamics of discourse moves in PBL remain under-researched.
• Understanding tutor-tutee interactions is crucial for effective knowledge construction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate discourse moves facilitating collaborative knowledge construction in PBL.
• To analyze temporal dynamics of discourse moves using sequential analysis in an Asian context.
• To identify patterns in tutor and tutee discourse for improved PBL facilitation.

Main Methods:

• Study involved 22 first-year medical students and 2 PBL tutors in an Asian medical school.
• Two 2-hour PBL tutorials were video-recorded, transcribed, with non-verbal behaviors noted.
• Lag-sequential analysis (LSA) was employed to examine discourse move sequences.

Main Results:

• Tutors utilized probing questions, explanations, clarifications, and social-facilitation strategies.
• Four major discourse paths were identified: teacher questions eliciting thinking levels, teacher statements mediating, relationships between social-facilitation and thinking modes, and sequences involving statements, facilitation, process-discourse, and silence.
• Probing questions were vital for progressing students from lower to higher-level thinking.

Conclusions:

• Probing questions are essential for facilitating student knowledge construction in PBL.
• The study introduces innovative lag-sequential analysis to explore PBL discourse dynamics.
• Findings offer practical guidance for PBL tutors on optimizing collaborative knowledge construction.