PBL facilitator training focusing on the skills of promoting student critical thinking

Abstract

Background Critical thinking is an essential skill for medical graduates. The aim of the following study is to train the facilitators to boost critical thinking during the PBL sessions. Method Forty PBL facilitators of the college of Medicine, the year 2019-2020, were invited to fill a questionnaire and participate in a workshop. The questionnaire measures the background knowledge of the facilitators about critical thinking. The workshop started with a presentation then followed by exercises to apply different techniques for critical thinking. Results Most of the facilitators (>80%) believe that PBL supports critical thinking. > 50% are using questioning technique. None were aware of any other technique. Following the workshop, > 50% were able to suggest other relevant techniques such as debate, hypothesis and role play. Most of the facilitators admired the activity and requested similar training sessions. Conclusion Facilitators training workshop needs to be tailored toward specific PBL outcomes. Critical thinking is one of the most important targets of PBL. However, facilitators of previous facilitation experience and exposure to general PBL workshops lack the skills to support critical thinking. The currently focused workshop yields promising reflection by the participants' feedback and performance.