Amendments to Indonesian Competence Standard states the area of competence for doctors includes the principle of problem-based learning (PBL). UGM Medical Science and Health doctoral student, Brigjen TNI (Purn) Dr. Buddy H.W. Utoyo, MARS., researched into the formation of knowledge and skills on student metacognitive knowledge as impact of PBL.
“Problems arise whether problem-based learning method with student-centered learning strategy can form metacognitive knowledge and skills as behaviour basis for student development in learning independence, self-reflection, and lifelong learning,” said he who is also lecturer at Faculty of Medicine at UPN “Veteran” Jakarta in his doctoral promotion at Faculty of Medicine UGM. Buddy defended his disertasion titled Metacognitive Knowledge and Skills Development in Students as Impact of Problem-Based Learning Method at Faculty of Medicine Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jakarta.”
Research suggested that student-centered learning like PBL can increase metacognitive awareness and skills and learning independence. This is important to increase student competence.
“If educators want to prepate their students for their future, the students have to be able to develop lifelong learning skills,” he said, adding that metacognitive knowledge and skills in independent learning are important due to the rapid changes in medical sciences.
His research showed that problem-based learning method was effective to form metacognitive knowledge of students of UPN “Veteran” Jakarta in their first six months that increased sharply and furthermore fluctuating in the following year. Similar event, however, is not found for metacognitive skill formation.
Besides, profile of formation of metacognitive knowledge sub-category in each level showed that procedural knowledge is very prominent, different from declarative knowledge and conditional knowledge.
“This is probably due to the fact that tutors and students are more focused on pathophysiology and pathogenesis does not scrutinise basic medical science,” he added.
He also found out that possibilities for collaboration and teach-other in tutorials would weaken the student intention to do discovery, inquiry, and exploration to the knowledge in his independent learning. Hence, he suggested that tutors at educational institutions have the metacognitive understanding, which is the basic skill for problem solving, independent and lifelong learning.