A META-ANALYSIS STUDY COMPARING PROBLEM BASED LEARNING WITH TRADITIONAL INSTRUCTION

Abstract

In this study, the efficiency of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) was compared with traditional methods. The effect size (ES) of PBL on academic achievement was calculated by using a meta-analytic method defined as drawing a general conclusion by analysing the data from a range of independent studies of similar subjects. Thus, 26 experimental studies were selected, which comply with the inclusion criteria determined with the help of research carried out between 2006 and 2013. The effect size of PBL on academic achievement was calculated as 1.302. According to Thalheimer and Cook's (2002) detailed level calculation, this value has a very large effect. The results of meta-analysis demonstrate that compared to traditional instruction methods, PBL has a positive effect on academic achievement.