Comparison of progress test performance between PBL and TBL curricula

Abstract

Background

Problem-based learning (PBL) and team-based learning (TBL) are two widely implemented educational strategies in medical education. Although both are aimed at enhancing student engagement and clinical reasoning, limited research has compared their long-term outcomes by using curriculum-independent measures such as progress testing.

Methods

This retrospective comparative study examined progress test performance among medical students enrolled in PBL vs. TBL tracks at the same university. From de-identified data, student scores were analyzed across five academic years, stratified by gender, discipline, body system, dimension of care, and physician activity.

Results

TBL students scored higher in early years, whereas PBL students showed a steeper knowledge trajectory and outperformed their TBL peers in senior years. The PBL students consistently achieved higher scores across most disciplines, organ systems, and care dimensions, particularly in chronic care, preventive care, diagnosis, and psychosocial domains. Analysis by gender indicated slightly higher performance among women than men in both tracks.

Conclusion

Curricular structure critically shapes students’ patterns of knowledge acquisition. The findings suggested that PBL and TBL support learning in different ways across the curriculum, with each demonstrating strengths at different stages of student progression. These results highlight the potential value of designing blended curricula drawing on the complementary features of both approaches to optimize medical education outcomes.