Problem-Based Learning (PBL): A Literature Review of Theory and Practice in Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratories

The paper reviews the literature on Problem-based learning (PBL) in general and the undergraduate chemistry laboratory in specific. PBL found its place in the medical curriculum in the 1970s when it was noticed that students could not apply discipline-specific knowledge (anatomy, neurology, pharmacology, etc.) to clinical cases. It was realized that the lecture approach did little to help them see the connection between theory and practice. Therefore, the need for new pedagogical means was realized and the PBL approach was initiated. From then on, a lot of research on PBL is done, also in the domain of chemistry laboratory education. This paper gives a detailed review of research work to understand the theories that support the practice of problem-based learning in chemistry laboratory space. The paper also describes various models that help in PBL implementation. Finally, the paper highlights the research that describes the implementation of this pedagogical style in undergraduate chemistry laboratories. The review suggests that each of the prescriptive aspects of PBL has strong support from various theories of learning thus, an integrative approach of various theories informs the implementation of PBL. Second, the models suggest that the students need to undergo a cyclic exposure to first understand the problem, learn the relevant facts, and apply the facts to solve the problem. Finally, the implementation studies suggest the feasibility of implementation and ideas that can prevent the failure of the PBL approach.