Problem-Based Learning in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing: A Comparative Study Between Private and Public Universities
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Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centred instructional strategy promoting critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and self-directed learning in nursing education. Comparative evidence across different university types in Thailand remains limited. This study aimed to compare PBL instructional evaluation outcomes between nursing students from a private university (accelerated 2.6-year program) and a public university (standard 4-year program). Data were collected from the private university in academic year 2024 and from the public university in academic year 2025; the two cohorts were therefore evaluated in different academic years rather than concurrently.
A descriptive comparative study using independent samples t-test was conducted with 72 nursing students enrolled in a Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Practicum course from two universities in Pathum Thani Province, Thailand (private: n = 36; public: n = 36). The Curriculum Instructional Evaluation Questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha = 0.86), comprising 19 items across two subscales: Subject and Content Aspect (10 items) and Self-Directed Learning and Overall Experience (9 items), was administered at semester end using a 5-point Likert scale.
Private university students scored significantly higher than public university students on all dimensions: overall mean (M = 4.95 vs. M = 4.65; t(70) = 2.45, p < .05; d = 0.57), Subject and Content (M = 4.95 vs. M = 4.72; t(70) = 2.18, p < .05; d = 0.51), and Self-Directed Learning (M = 4.94 vs. M = 4.58; t(63.4) = 2.71, p < .05; d = 0.64). Both institutions achieved Excellent ratings (4.50 and above). The advantage in Self-Directed Learning among private university students likely reflects their prior healthcare work experience, facilitating constructivist engagement with complex psychiatric case scenarios. Prior clinical experience may help explain the observed difference in PBL evaluation outcomes, with implications for curriculum design across both program types. The reflective, self-directed processes central to PBL also resonate with Buddhist psychological principles, particularly yonisomanasikara (wise, systematic reflection) and sati (mindful awareness), offering a culturally grounded lens for psychiatric nursing education in Thailand.
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