Journal of Medical Education Development

en Medical students' perceptions of the impact of problem-based learning on critical thinking and collaborative learning آموزش پزشکی Medical Education پژوهشي اصیل Orginal Research Background & Objective: Over the past few decades, researchers and teachers have focused more on the role of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in improving critical thinking and encouraging collaborative learning in medical education. This study looks at medical students' views of PBL's impact on critical thinking and collaborative learning based on age, gender and year of study. Materials & Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done among 269 MBBS students (years 1–3) at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire, created through expert review and pilot testing, which included demographic items and a 5-point Likert scale measuring views of PBL's impact on critical thinking and collaborative learning. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and inferential tests (t-tests, ANOVA, Post-hoc Tukey) using IBM SPSS. Results: Participants were mostly second-year students (42.01%), with a majority being female (70.26%). Most students (84%) agreed that PBL creates curiosity and encourages exploration of different solutions, while 84.4% agreed on PBL's role in developing interpersonal skills. Age strongly affected views of critical thinking (p = 0.003), with younger students reporting less positive views. First-year and second-year students also differed strongly in their views of critical thinking (p = 0.002). However, gender had no big impact. For collaborative learning, no big differences were found across age, gender, or year of study. Conclusion: Students generally expressed positive views of PBL, recognizing its meaningful contribution to critical thinking and collaborative learning. These findings stress the importance of adjusting PBL approaches to consider students' age and academic progress, which could further improve their development of these key skills.   problem-based learning, critical thinking, collaborative learning, medical education 83 91 http://edujournal.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-12-2152-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Pradeep Kumar Sahu Pradeep.sahu@sta.uwi.edu 5300319475328460036556 5300319475328460036556 Yes The University of the West Indies Maya Jurawan maya.jurawan@my.uwi.edu 5300319475328460036557 0009-0005-1459-8511 No The University of the West Indies Kristin Ramdeen kristin.ramdeen@my.uwi 5300319475328460036558 0009-0008-2638-3165 No Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago Aimee Seeram aimee.seeram@my.uwi.edu 5300319475328460036559 0009-0002-4492-0020 No Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago Britney Dookie britney.dookie@my.uwi.edu 5300319475328460036560 0009-0005-8440-5332 No Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago Mya Gould mya.gould@my.uwi.edu 5300319475328460036561 0009-0008-6742-5253 No Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago