Problem-Based Learning Transforms Histology Education: Evidence from Uzbekistan Medical Students
Keywords:
problem-based learning, histology; medical education, collaborative learning, Uzbekistan, cognitive outcomes, curriculum reformAbstract
This study compares educational outcomes of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and traditional didactic instruction in medical biology and histology at two Uzbek medical institutions. A cohort of 21 first-year students at the Fergana Medical Institute of Public Health (FMIOPH) received PBL-based instruction, while 212 students at the Andijan State Medical Institute (ASMI) were taught through conventional lecture methods. Outcomes assessed included histological identification accuracy, clinical reasoning, long-term knowledge retention, collaborative skill development, examination performance, and student satisfaction. Independent-samples t-tests and Mann-Whitney U tests revealed statistically significant advantages for the PBL group across all domains (p<0.01). PBL students demonstrated markedly higher scores in collaborative skills (91.3% vs. 59.7%) and clinical reasoning (84.2% vs. 65.8%). These findings support wider adoption of PBL frameworks in Central Asian medical curricula and underscore the need for institutional investment in faculty training and case development.
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