An Analysis of the Learning Processes that Influence Changes in Studentsʼ Problem-Solving Abilities in a PBL Course: Integration of Direct and Indirect Assessments at the Course Level

In this research, the problem-solving abilities of students in a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) course, held over a year, were observed through two performance assessments, at the end of the first and second semesters, respectively. Learning processes, such as studentsʼ approach and attitude toward learning in the course, were also evaluated through surveys individually completed by the students. These learning processes (indirect assessments) were then analyzed for their power to explain changes in the studentsʼ problem-solving abilities (direct assessments), and an integration of the direct and indirect assessments was attempted. First, through an analysis of the reliability of learning-process measurements from the perspectives of consistency and stability, a sufficient value was obtained for the reliability coefficient. Next, a sufficient value was also obtained using generalizability theory to analyze the reliability of evaluations of problem-solving ability, which were carried out twice by three instructors. Then, after the problem-solving ability in the first semester was controlled, the degree of explanatory power that learning processes have with respect to problem-solving ability in the second semester was analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression analysis. These results revealed that rehearsal strategies for learning by repetition have significant explanatory power. The fact that such strategies influenced changes in problem-solving abilities, which are higher-order cognitive abilities was thought to be a reflection of the characteristics of the medical and dental science disciplines, which demand a wide range of specialized knowledge. How the knowledge that was obtained from integrating direct and indirect assessments in this manner could put into practice is then discussed