Team-Based Learning in Physician Assistant/Associate Education: A Mixed Scoping Review

Team-based learning (TBL) is a type of active learning. While TBL was first used in medical instruction at the start of the 2000s, its efficacy within the physician assistant (PA) education has yet to be demonstrated. The objective of this study was to determine existing information about TBL in PA education and to demonstrate the need for further study.

A mixed scoping review was undertaken. Articles were identified across the search engines CINAHL Complete, Embase, ERIC, and PubMed. Findings were then evaluated using Rayyan and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Forty-nine articles were identified across all databases, with 2 independent reviewers screening records. Ultimately, 6 studies were included. Four studies were original articles, and the other 2 were conference abstracts.

Based on the limited data available, TBL was generally beneficial in all available studies; however, results should be interpreted with caution given the paucity of available data. Studies included both hybrid curriculum and TBL alone. Studies demonstrated significant findings when evaluating TBL course outcomes, examination grades, and student confidence. All articles evaluated different outcomes, so comparison between results is challenging. The strength of research from conference abstracts was limited. Further study is necessary to determine if TBL is effective in other programs.

If demonstrated to be effective in PA education, TBL may be used to improve outcomes such as examination performance, course grades, long-term retention of knowledge, or student confidence.