An Analysis of Medical Undergraduate Students' Performance on Problem-based Objective Written Questions Versus Traditional Objective Written Questions Concerning the Digestive System in Histology

Open Access

Abstract

Background: Education fosters understanding, abilities, and the capacity to implement ideas, enhancing analytical thinking and issue resolution. Problem-based learning (PBL) encourages active, student-focused learning and clinical reasoning, although its effects on theoretical understanding remain contentious. Histology necessitates a solid conceptual grasp for practical clinical use. This research examines Problem-based Objective Written Questions and Traditional Objective Written Questions formats in histology of the digestive system to determine their efficacy in measuring student knowledge. Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional research at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) (Sept 2024–Aug 2025) involved 220 medical students {110 Problem-based Question (PBQ) group, 110 Traditional Question (TQ) group} allocated by odd–even numbering. Utilizing validated and piloted questions from Junqueira’s Histology, 100 Problem-based Objective Written Questions and 100 Traditional Objective Written Questions evaluated the digestive system, emphasizing application rather than recall. The exam lasting 90 minutes was carried out in a controlled environment, and the analysis of data utilized SPSS v27 with the ANOVA test (p < 0.05). Results: A total of 220 students (110 PBQ group, 110 TQ group) were evaluated. The average scores for both groups were comparable (PBQ: 46.92 ± 9.37; TQ: 46.36 ± 12.74) and their medians were the same [46.15 (38.46–53.85)]. The PBQ group exhibited a bit less variability, whereas the TQ group displayed more dispersion. Nonetheless, no statistically significant difference was observed between the groups (p = 0.71; 95% CI: -3.54 to 4.81), suggesting similar performance in both assessment formats. Conclusion: There was no notable variation in students’ performance between PBQ group and TQ group formats in digestive system histology, suggesting that both assessment methods effectively evaluate undergraduate knowledge.
Keywords: Medical undergraduate students, Problem-based objective Written questions, Traditional objective written questions, Digestive system, Histology.