Problem-Based Learning On Students Critical Thinking Skills In Teaching Business Education In Malaysia: A Literature Review

Abstract

This review forms the background to explore and to gain empirical support among lecturers to improve the students’ critical thinking skills in business education courses in Malaysia, in which the main teaching and learning methodology is Problem-Based Learning (PBL).  The PBL educational approach is known to have maximum positive impacts in producing professional competencies among graduates in many educational disciplines.  However, there is limited discussion about PBL pedagogical approaches implemented in business education.  This approach has not been established as a major pedagogical method in schools of business around the world.  However, there are a few schools of business that use the implementation of PBL in their curriculum structures.  Studies that focused on that issue are implemented in various aspects, courses and using various methodologies. There are various materials which relate to PBL and critical thinking skills.  However, in Malaysia, the material is limited because of the lack of research relating to this methodology and lack of research documentations.  In Malaysia, the PBL method is only being practised at higher institutions of learning, and it is only limited to certain fields.  The analysis of this part tends to discuss PBL in tertiary education, examining the mechanism of the popular educational approach of PBL.  The analysis of PBL is intended to see if it may offer any solutions to problems encountered in various education, and to focus on its potential for implementation and impact on critical thinking skills in teaching business education.