Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40247313›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2025

Psychometric properties of a questionnaire assessing the extent of integration in a problem-based learning curriculum.

Marwan F Abu-Hijleh, Salah Eldin Kassab, Soumaya Allouch, Raja Mahamade Ali, Noor Al-Wattary, Michail Nomikos, Abdel Halim Salem, Mohamed H Shehata, Reginald P Sequeira

Abstract readMulticenter StudyValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical education, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Marwan F Abu-HijlehDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, P.O. Box: 2713, Doha, Qatar. mabuhijleh@qu.edu.qa.
Salah Eldin KassabCollege of Medicine, Gulf Medical University, P.O. Box: 4184, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.
Soumaya AllouchDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, P.O. Box: 2713, Doha, Qatar.
Raja Mahamade AliDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, P.O. Box: 2713, Doha, Qatar.
Noor Al-WattaryCollege of Education, Qatar University, P.O. Box: 2713, Doha, Qatar.
Michail NomikosDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, P.O. Box: 2713, Doha, Qatar.
Abdel Halim SalemCollege of Medicine & Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, P.O. Box: 26671, Manama, Bahrain.
Mohamed H ShehataCollege of Medicine & Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, P.O. Box: 26671, Manama, Bahrain.
Reginald P SequeiraCollege of Medicine & Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, P.O. Box: 26671, Manama, Bahrain.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIntegrated curricula reinforce student learning and retention of relevant knowledge. At Qatar University and Arabian Gulf University medical colleges, Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is the principal teaching and learning strategy to implement integrated multidisciplinary system-based curriculum. In addition, other initiatives include integrated assessment, logical organization of teaching and learning methods, as well as combined faculty effort in curriculum planning and delivery. This multicenter study aims to develop and validate a questionnaire for measuring the extent of medical curriculum integration in PBL programs.

methodsFollowing an extensive literature review, the content validity of a questionnaire was tested through focus group discussion with subject matter experts (n = 20), followed by pilot testing with medical students (n = 20). The content-validated questionnaire (31 items) was distributed to students in the two colleges. To examine the construct validity and construct reliability of the questionnaire, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with 330 students followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on 579 students.

resultsEFA supported a four-factor structure of the questionnaire which explained 62% of the variance; however, four items were deleted because of low factor loading (< 0.5) or cross-loading on multiple factors. Further CFA also supported the four-factor structure. Another three items were removed due to high modification indices. The most parsimonious model consisted of 24 items with good fitness indices (χ

conclusionsThe developed questionnaire exhibits good evidence of construct validity and reliability. Further studies required to test the validity of this questionnaire in other settings.

Indexed as

CurriculumEducation, Medical, UndergraduateProblem-Based LearningFactor Analysis, StatisticalFemaleFocus GroupsHumansMalePsychometricsQatarReproducibility of ResultsStudents, MedicalSurveys and QuestionnairesCurriculum designEvaluationIntegrationProblem-based learningQuestionnaire validation

Identifiers

PMID40247313
PMCPMC12007221

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.