Author(s)

Hui Peng ^1,2, Lijuan Ma ^2,3, Jiucui Tong ^2,4

Affiliation(s)

¹ Department of Science and Technology Management, The First Affiliated Hospital (Yijishan Hospital) of Wannan Medical University, Wuhu, 241001, China
² Teaching and Research Office of Evidence-Based Medicine, Wannan Medical University, Wuhu, 241001, China
³ Department of Medical Record Management, The First Affiliated Hospital (Yijishan Hospital) of Wannan Medical University, Wuhu, 241001, China
⁴ Office of Educational Administration, The First Affiliated Hospital (Yijishan Hospital) of Wannan Medical University, Wuhu, 241001, China

Corresponding Author

Jiucui Tong

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a problem- and case-based practical statistics course for medical postgraduates through a questionnaire survey of 65 master's students from the Classes of 2023 and 2024 at a medical undergraduate university. The survey covered their undergraduate statistics background, baseline knowledge before the course, and their post-course perceptions. Results showed that while 81.54% had taken a standalone medical statistics course as undergraduates, 84.62% rated themselves as "completely unfamiliar" or "not very familiar" with the subject beforehand—yet 87.69% considered statistics "very important" for research. After the course, 67.69% reported a mastery level of 50% or above, with 26.15% reaching 70% or higher. Nearly all students (98.46%) gave positive feedback on the depth of instruction, and 75.38% said they were "very satisfied." Students who found the teaching "in-depth yet accessible" tended to perform better in terms of mastery, and among those very satisfied with the course, over 80% rated it as "effective" or above. Overall, the problem-oriented teaching model yielded promising results in both knowledge acquisition and student satisfaction. However, the findings also highlighted difficulties for students with weaker foundational backgrounds, suggesting that future adjustments, such as moderating the pace, increasing hands-on practice, and smoothing the transition from basic concepts to applied use may further enhance the course.

KEYWORDS

Medical Statistics; Graduate Education; Problem-Based Learning; Educational Reform; Effectiveness Evaluation

CITE THIS PAPER

Hui Peng, Lijuan Ma, Jiucui Tong. Application and Effectiveness Evaluation of a Problem-Based Learning Model in a Graduate Course on Medical Statistics in Practice. Curriculum and Teaching Methodology (2026). Vol. 9, No. 4, 120-128. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/curtm.2026.090417.

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