PBL in family medicine residency programs is associated with high learner satisfaction, though not always rated above lectures¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Most included studies reported high learner satisfaction with PBL (adapted Kirkpatrick Level 1). → Clemens Megan 2026 q2 i? Satisfaction was not uniformly superior: two studies found PBL was not viewed as superior to lecture-style sessions. → Clemens Megan 2026 (2)

Evidence¶

Clemens Megan 2026¶

Clemens Megan, Boparai Josheil Kaur, Dawe Russell, Avery Susan. (2026). Problem-based and related learning approaches in family medicine residency: a scoping review of four countries. Canadian Medical Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.36834/cmej.81284

q2 · i? · review · r3

Synthesis of eight studies from the scoping review assessing learner satisfaction (Kirkpatrick Level 1). The review reports that studies "primarily reporting high satisfaction with PBL," with learners appreciating similarity to real-life cases and the clinical reasoning required. No effect size is printed.

"Eight studies evaluated learner satisfaction, corresponding to Level 1 of the adapted Kirkpatrick's Model, with each study primarily reporting high satisfaction with PBL."

Clemens Megan 2026 (2)¶

Clemens Megan, Boparai Josheil Kaur, Dawe Russell, Avery Susan. (2026). Problem-based and related learning approaches in family medicine residency: a scoping review of four countries. Canadian Medical Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.36834/cmej.81284

q2 · i? · review · r3

The review reports Haidet et al.'s controlled trial comparing PBL with slide-and-lecture teaching: attitude improvements occurred "irrespective of whether they attended the PBL versus lecture-style delivery" (p < 0.0001), so PBL held no satisfaction or attitude advantage. Only a p-value is printed.

"Specifically, Haidet et al. showed that learners demonstrated significant improvements in attitudes toward sensitivity, specificity and predictive value content (p < 0.0001) irrespective of whether they attended the PBL versus lecture-style delivery."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Objective knowledge assessments show no significant improvement after PBL in family medicine residency, with gains comparable to lectures — related
• PBL shifts learners' opinions about topics modestly, and learners with strong pre-existing opinions are less likely to change — related
• One study found significantly higher patient breastfeeding rates among physicians who participated in case-based PBL training — related
• Perceived VDT utility did not always correspond to measurable academic advantage — related