Cross-sectional studies in resource-limited settings suggest PBL is associated with perceived critical-thinking and communication gains, with collaborative discussion possibly compensating for infrastructural constraints¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · checked against its sources 2026-10-31 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Cross-sectional, mostly self-report studies from resource-limited settings (Pakistan, India, Nepal) suggest PBL can still support critical thinking and communication skills when institutional resources are constrained; the review says its evidence cannot establish causality. → Abugri Bruce Ayabilla 2026

Evidence¶

Abugri Bruce Ayabilla 2026¶

Abugri Bruce Ayabilla, Assibi Maxwell Ateni, Amalba Anthony, Gaa Patience Kanyiri, Kpebu Sophia E.A., Karikari Patience Afua Adwaapa, Mogre Victor. (2026). The effects of problem-based learning (PBL) on undergraduate medical students' critical thinking and communication skills development: A scoping review across resource-rich and resource-limited settings (2015-2024). PLoS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0342599

q2 · i? · review · r2

Scoping review of eight studies, all cross-sectional and mostly self-report, most with no comparator. Its settings-comparison theme says studies from resource-limited settings "suggest that PBL remains effective in developing critical thinking and communication skills even when institutional resources are constrained", and that PBL's collaborative, discussion-based nature "appears to compensate" for infrastructural limits. The review's overall conclusion is more cautious: PBL "may be associated with perceived improvements" in these skills, and the lack of longitudinal or experimental designs restricts how far causality may be inferred. No effect sizes were printed.

"In contrast, studies from resource-limited settings such as Pakistan, India, and Nepal [16,35–37] suggest that PBL remains effective in developing critical thinking and communication skills even when institutional resources are constrained."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Communication Skills — outcome: instruction changes it
• Critical Thinking — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• PBL is associated with perceived improvements in critical thinking and communication skills among undergraduate medical students in both resource-limited and resource-rich settings — a broader claim this one bears on
• All eight included studies were cross-sectional, conducted in Asia, and most lacked a comparator — related