Brazilian medical students’ perceptions of expert versus non-expert facilitators in a (non) problem-based learning environment

Background In problem-based learning (PBL), the facilitator plays an important role in guiding the student learning process. However, although content expertise is generally regarded as a useful but non-essential prerequisite for effective PBL facilitation, the perceived importance of content knowledge may be subject to cultural, contextual, and/or experiential influences. Aim We sought to examine medical students' perceptions of subject-matter expertise among PBL facilitators in a region of the world (Brazil) where such active learning pedagogies are not widely used in university or pre-university settings. Results Of the 252 Brazilian medical students surveyed, significantly (p≤0.001) greater proportions viewed content expert facilitators to be more effective than their non-expert counterparts at building knowledge (95% vs. 6%), guiding the learning process (93% vs. 7%), achieving cognitive learning (92% vs. 18%), generating learning goals (87% vs. 15%), and motivating self-study (80% vs. 15%). Discussion/conclusion According to Brazilian medical students, subject-matter expertise among PBL facilitators is essential to the learning process. We believe this widespread perception is due, in large part, to the relative lack of prior educational exposure to such pedagogies.