Comparing students' attitudes in problem-based and conventional curricula.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the attitudes of students in a new problem-based learning (PBL) medical curriculum and in the previous conventional curriculum after the second curriculum year, prior to the clinical clerkships. The authors hypothesized that the PBL students would have more favorable attitudes toward their learning environment, social issues in medicine, and their curriculum.


METHODS
The students in the classes of 1995 (conventional curriculum) and 1996 (PBL curriculum) at the Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine were asked to complete two main questionnaires and a few additional items that measure attitudes. The admission variables of the two classes were equivalent. Their attitude ratings were compared using t-tests.


RESULTS
Response rates averaged 87% (73 of 84 students) and 68% (57 of 84) for the PBL and conventional classes, respectively. The students in the PBL class had more positive attitudes toward their learning environment on the subscales for enthusiasm and authoritarianism (i.e., they rated their curriculum more favorably for democratic decision making); they were less positive on the student-interaction subscale. No significant difference emerged between the two classes on any subscale for attitudes about social issues in medicine. The PBL students reported more positive attitudes toward their curriculum.


CONCLUSIONS
The study results support the superiority of the PBL curriculum regarding the students' attitudes toward their medical education.
Kaufman
D M
DM
Division of Medical Education, Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. David.Kaufman@Dal.Ca
Mann
K V
KV
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009674:Nova Scotia; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D012577:Schools, Medical; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires