Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning on Development of Nursing Students' Critical Thinking Skills A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered approach to teaching that has been applied in medical and nursing education. The effectiveness of PBL in promoting critical thinking in nursing students has been studied extensively with mixed results. Purpose: The meta-analysis aimed to investigate the impact of PBL interventions on critical thinking skills of nursing students. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and CINAHL databases were electronically searched. Methodological quality was examined using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and version 2 of the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Data were analyzed with 95% confidence intervals based on random-effect models. Results: Nineteen studies involving 1996 nursing students were included in the analysis. The results of the analysis demonstrated greater improvement in critical thinking skills compared with the control group (overall critical thinking scores: standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.33-0.61, P < .01). Conclusions: The meta-analysis indicates that PBL can help nursing students to improve their critical thinking.