Impact of Problem Based Learning on Thinking Abilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

By

Acknowledgement

My thanks go out to all who have helped me complete this study and with whom this project may have not been possible. In particular, my gratitude goes out to friends, facilitator and family for extensive and helpful comments on early drafts. I am also deeply indebted to the authors who have shared my interest and preceded me. Their works provided me with a host of information to learn from and build upon, also served as examples to emulate.

Abstract

The advantages of problem based learning are many when compared to the advantages of implementing traditional curriculum on the learners. In many of the researches, the advantages of problem based learning are found to be significant while in others they are equivocal or in favor of traditional based learning. However more studies suggest and agree that the deeper learning resulted from the problem based learning approach is much better than the superficial learning. This research proposal aims at undertaking the vital domain of problem based learning and its imperative facets, with respect of the development of higher thinking abilities in the learners, regarding the effectiveness of instruction approach and its objectives. The relevant theories and methods are also part of this research proposal including the possible limitations that the research may entail.

Objectives: The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the effectiveness of problem-based learning in developing students' thinking skills, particularly critical thinking skills.

Data Sources: Only valid information was collected from multiple sources and databases such as private, public and online libraries. The most authentic databases such as Ebsco, NCBI, Sage and Wiley were used in order to access and gather data for the research study. After that the above mentioned combination of search was respectively joint-up with a specific methodological filter of database acclimatized from Dickersin and Robinson (2002) for limiting the exploration and search to the studies which were controlled. The search for the literature was then limited to the researches published in the years 1990-2013, because of this reason that numerous researches were made during this time. Secondly, the abstract of all the mentioned references of relevant papers was retrieved and reviewed for the identification of any additional researches. Thirdly, for the identification of related researches Science Citation Index was utilized for searching for the researches that have the relevant papers. Fourthly, the field leaders were also contacted for locating relevant, but the unpublished studies in the time of 1990-2013 or give suggestions about others who might know about any unpublished researches or work.

Review Methods: The subject area of the problem based learning is explored in various fields. This distribution of the topic includes the areas of education, health care, psychology and social sciences. This study examines the impacts of problem based learning on the thinking abilities of students keeping in consideration the diffusion of the topic in multiple areas. The search techniques for existing literature are conventional subject searching, reference list checking, contact ...