Problem-based learning (PBL) is an internationally recognised pedagogical approach that is implemented within a number of disciplines. The relevance and uptake of PBL in psychology has to date, however, received very limited attention. The aim of this paper is therefore to review published accounts on how PBL is being used to deliver psychology curricula in higher education and to highlight psychological research that offers practical strategies for PBL theory and practice. The paper is divided into three sections. In the first, we discuss the principles of PBL and provide examples of how it can be used within psychology curricula alongside a consideration of its advantages and disadvantages. In the second section, we outline the results of a systematic literature review of published examples of PBL used within psychology undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Finally, in the third section, we examine some of the ways in which psychological research can provide practical guidance for PBL teaching practice. We conclude this paper with some recommendations for future research across all these areas, and call for the further development of PBL curricula in psychology higher education course provision. IntroductionProblem-based learning (PBL) is more than a pedagogical method (sometimes referred to as a didactic approach). It is an orientation to teaching and learning falling under the broad umbrella of student-centred, enquiry-based or active learning approaches (Barrett, 2005;Hmelo-Silver, 2004). PBL was pioneered in the 1960s in the Medical School at McMaster University, Canada (Barrows & Tamblyn, 1980) and has since then been developed at Aalborg University (Denmark), Maastricht University (Netherlands) and Newcastle University (Australia), as well as being implemented in a number of disciplines and universities worldwide. The fundamental principle of PBL is to equip students with an investigative approach and to develop a greater sense of responsibility for their learning. As the main processes of PBL are rooted in problem-solving, self-directed learning and group interaction, this places psychology very much at the centre of how PBL works and how it may be understood as a teaching and learning approach. Despite this, there is relatively little reporting of how PBL is used in psychology and how psychology informs PBL in published work (see for example, Dunsmuir & Frederickson, 2014;Kiernan, Murrell & Relf, 2008;Norman & Schmidt, 1992). In view of this, a main objective of this paper is to provide a systematic review of published accounts of the ways in which PBL is being used to deliver psychology curricula in higher education, with a second main objective to illustrate the ways in which psychological research can provide a range of principles and strategies that inform PBL practice. In so doing, our overall aim is to summarise the current developments in each of these areas and to stimulate a more robust engagement with PBL in psychology teaching and learning, and in psychological research. We will be...

Welcome to the Psychology Learning and Teaching special issue on problem-based learning (PBL) and psychology. The aims of this special issue are twofold: (1) to inspire the further use of PBL in psychology higher education teaching and (2) to call for a greater application of psychological research to PBL teaching practice. As a small group of academics, we came together through a collective interest in this area. As tutors, we have seen first-hand the value of PBL in psychology classrooms, of the benefits it can bring to student engagement, learning outcomes, and employability. As researchers, we have also seen the potential of psychological approaches for PBL research; there are few other learning approaches that rely so heavily on student interaction and group dynamics. Psychology as a broad and vibrant discipline has much to offer PBL as a learning approach. At a time of change in the higher education landscape, with growing numbers of students from non-traditional backgrounds and an increasing marketization of university education, there is a move toward greater emphasis on skills development and employability. Students are more likely to perceive their psychology degree as preparation for dealing with real world problems in a range of situations rather than the acquisition of a body of academic knowledge, which is, in any case, rapidly changing. PBL originated in the context of medical education based on the need for flexible knowledge applicable to a wide range of situations combined with an ability to search for and select appropriate information. It is therefore timely to consider how teaching and learning in psychology can benefit from pedagogical approaches aimed at developing independent and critical thinking and particularly how self-directed learning in a social context can support the development of a wide range of graduate skills. The special issue comprises five papers: one review of PBL and psychology teaching practice, three research articles demonstrating the application of psychology approaches to PBL issues, and one report illustrating the use of online PBL as understood through the lens of a psychological theory. Most of these papers focus on the issue of group workwith how it is understood by students or how group work plays out in practice in PBL settings-which is arguably one of the aspects of PBL that is often a concern to students and tutors. Indeed, one could argue that group work is a common concern for other learning approaches too. In PBL, however, this is the primary vehicle for learning. Both the Christensen and Hendry et al. papers, for example, deal with the delicate issue of how students engage with their fellow group members: with how the ''us'' of the group is managed in order to learn effectively.