Problems-Based Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences by Nursing Students

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Mental Health in First Year Secondary School Students

“…Self-concept could be understood as the opinion a person has about self, it involves a value judgement and the ability for self-recognition which is built through interpersonal relationships with family members, friends, peers in school and in sports settings [15] [16] [17] [18]; during the pandemic this construction was impaired for adolescents, due to low or absence of positive feedback circumstances on them, since attention was focused in life preservation, health conditions, having a job and the ways to subsist facing the changes. As a result, high stress, overcrowding at work or home triggered discussion about task assignation, spaces at home/work and recreational breaks [1] [5], such that under emotional intensity those involved handled messages that not fulfill a self-concept feedback in the adolescent, which is observed in the following speeches: [ ] To be honest nothing of myself likes me, and is worst if I am angry, I am rude with persons, and I do not like my physical appearance. Carnation [ ] I am a very pessimist person, I do not find positiveness of things easily, I am very reserved and do not like personal affections, I am not sociable and do not like that others repeat me what to do, I do not exactly what I like from myself because all the time they repeat the bad things of me.…”

“…Post-isolation context after COVID-19 pandemic impacted different areas of society, as well as in all stages of life, these prompted us to investigate and evaluate them since everything was uncertain. A common thought was that youngsters had no tools to face the situation, even though that children and adolescents of the digital age used more strategies to keep contact with friends and relatives, and this led to follow the phenomenon [1] [2]. The lockdown was a helpful measure to avoid SARS-CoV-2 virus propagation, but social isolation and the massive closure of face-to face activities in educational institutions, provoked an important increase of stress and anxiety in adolescents, affecting their abilities to communicate in this significant step of interpersonal relationships, and the search for their identity [1].…”

“…A common thought was that youngsters had no tools to face the situation, even though that children and adolescents of the digital age used more strategies to keep contact with friends and relatives, and this led to follow the phenomenon [1] [2]. The lockdown was a helpful measure to avoid SARS-CoV-2 virus propagation, but social isolation and the massive closure of face-to face activities in educational institutions, provoked an important increase of stress and anxiety in adolescents, affecting their abilities to communicate in this significant step of interpersonal relationships, and the search for their identity [1]. Facing this problematic, alternatives to develop significant learning based in adolescents' self-knowledge are required, highlighting adaptability, communication among peers, emotional intelligence, creative ways to solve problems, and resilience [3].…”

General Problem-solving Skills Can be Enhanced by Short-time Use of Problem-Based Learning (PBL)

“…So far, the evaluation of PBL has predominantly relied on assessing its impact using practical problems that closely resemble previously encountered issues (Albanese & Mitchell, 1993;Almulla, 2020;Berkson, 1993;Castillo-Megchun et al, 2021;Dochy et al, 2003;Kasim, 1999;Newman, 2003;Reznich & Werner, 2001;Sharma, 2015;Vernon & Blake, 1993). Where Albanese & Mitchell, Berkson, Castillo-Magchun et al, Kasim, Newman, Reznich & Werner and Vernon & Black mostly focus on healthcare related programs, Almulla, Dochy and Sharma focus more on the seniority of the learner and its period of study.…”

“…Additionally, most of PBL research is conducted during advanced study periods, typically occurring in higher semesters after the fourth or fifth semester. (Almulla, 2020;Barrows, 1980Barrows, , 1996Barrows & Tamblyn, 1980;Caplow et al, 1997;Castillo-Megchun et al, 2021;Davis & Harden, 1999). To ensure a broader assessment of PBL's impact it would be beneficial to also investigate PBL learning scenarios in earlier study periods, such as the first or second semester, to minimize reliance on prior knowledge.…”