Transforming experience and learner transformation: an analysis of first year medical students’ PBL reflections

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Problem-based learning (PBL) departs radically from traditional pedagogy with the switch to learner engagement in active, self-directed, enquiry-driven, participatory and collaborative learning in small group discussions. In medical education, PBL aims to develop students into critical thinkers, effective communicators, and motivated, competent lifelong learners. Thus, PBL serves as a vehicle for transforming the educational experience, which will ultimately transform the learners. Despite this emphasis, research into PBL-inspired transformation has focused mostly on institutions, curriculum reforms and teacher development, with only scanty research into transformation at the learner level. This paper studies how medical students perceive PBL as a transforming experience and what changes they see in their understanding of PBL. METHOD: The data consists of reflective texts written by 120 first year medical students in Hong Kong. These texts were produced as the final outcome of a series of PBL-related reflective activities. The textual data were coded and categorised to identify central themes for analysis. FINDINGS: Analysis of distinctive features and patterns of the transforming experiences, and in terms of learners‘ perceptions of their transformation has yielded a picture of how the medical students see changes in their communicative behaviour in the new learning context and how their conceptualizations of PBL have changed. IMPLICATIONS: The findings contribute to our understanding of the transforming capacity of PBL as actualised in individual learners. They also provide insights into how individual learners transform in different ways in a PBL context. These findings have implications for strategies for PBL induction and pedagogical facilitation for effective PBL.