Knowledge and Attitudes towards Problem-Based Learning and Associated Factors Among Academicians at the Institute of Health, Jimma University, Ethiopia

Background Lack of good knowledge and a favorable attitude towards Problem-Based Learning may lead academicians to apply the traditional teaching method which may compromise the quality of health sciences education. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the factors associated with the academicians’ knowledge and attitude toward problem-based learning. Methods An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 20 to June 18, 2023,on 422 academicians selected using a simple random sampling technique. The data were entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and exported to SPSS-26 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to test the association between the independent variables and the dependent variables with a 95% confidence interval at and a p-value < 0.05. RESULT The study included 394 academicians with a response rate of 93.4%. The level of good knowledge and favorable attitude toward PBL was 57.1% and 54.6% respectively. Having problem based learning training [AOR = 2.92, 95% CI = 1.22–6.99], academic rank above lecturer [AOR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.09–4.1], teaching experience of 6–9 years of experience [AOR = 2.66, 95% CI = 1.11–6.37]and 10 or more years [AOR = 4.98, 95% CI = 1.74–14.22], delivering the course with PBL [AOR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.08–4.12), were statistically significantly associated. On the other hand, age 36–40 [AOR = 3.45, 95% CI = 1.08–11.04], being in a school of medicine [AOR = 4.8 95% CI = 1.27–13.07] and being in school of midwifery [AOR = 6.39(95% CI = 1.19–13.44), having PBL training [AOR = 3.42, 95% CI = 1.41–8.31], participation in the construction of PBL case [AOR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.22–0.83], having good knowledge of PBL [AOR = 3.14, 95% CI = 1.78–5.53] were statistically significantly associated with academician’s attitude towards problem based learning Conclusion More than half of respondents had good knowledge and a favorable attitude toward problem based learning.