Exploring the Role of Problem-based Learning in Fostering the Epistemological Beliefs of Psychology Students: A One-Group Pretest–Posttest Study

Authors

  • Ahmed Rasheed. S M Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak-484887, Madhya Pradesh, India, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0163-5430
  • Lalit Kumar Mishra Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak-484887, Madhya Pradesh, India, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1929-5027
  • Gyanesh Kumar Tiwari Department of Psychology, School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Doctor Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, 470003, Madhya Pradesh, India, India http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6880-940X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47679/jopp.8314772026

Keywords:

Artificial Intelligence, Epistemological Beliefs, Ill-structured problem, Problem-based learning

Abstract

Psychology students must acquire sophisticated epistemological beliefs when engaging with evolving, ill-structured problems. The fast-paced progress in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its psychological influence on human lives is one such ill-structured problem. This study examined the impact of problem-based learning (PBL) on epistemological beliefs by comparing pre-test and post-test scores acquired via the Epistemological Belief Inventory (EBI). Data were gathered from a convenience sample of 29 psychology students at a central university in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. A paired-samples t-test was employed to compare the pre-test and post-test mean values, and retrospective semi-structured interviews were conducted after the PBL intervention to supplement and corroborate the EBI results. The paired samples t-test indicated that there was a significant improvement in epistemological beliefs from pre-test (M = 115.7, SD = 14.7) to post-test (M = 67.9, SD = 9.5), following the PBL implementation, t(28) = 15.3, p < .001. The findings suggest that when students engage with complex, unstructured topics like AI and its psychological ramifications, PBL significantly strengthens their epistemological beliefs. The pedagogical value of PBL is highlighted by its capacity to promote more complex ways of knowing and reasoning.

Author Biographies

Ahmed Rasheed. S M, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak-484887, Madhya Pradesh, India

Ahmed Rasheed S. M. is currently working as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology, Kuniya College of Arts and Science, Kuniya, Kasaragod, Kerala, India. With publications in fields like internet addiction and cognition, his scholarly work focuses on psychological research in higher education and student mental health. He is actively involved in psychology research, teaching, and scholarly contributions.

Lalit Kumar Mishra, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak-484887, Madhya Pradesh, India

Dr. Lalit Kumar Mishra is Professor and the Head, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Science at the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh, India. His areas of expertise are statistics, organizational behaviour, and research methodology. With more than 15 years of teaching and research experience, he has greatly advanced psychology education and research in India by mentoring doctoral and postgraduate scholars and making substantial contributions through publications, scale development, and counselling services.

Gyanesh Kumar Tiwari, Department of Psychology, School of Humanities &amp; Social Sciences, Doctor Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, 470003, Madhya Pradesh, India

Dr. Gyanesh Kumar Tiwari is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, School of Human and Environmental Sciences, Manipur University, Imphal, Manipur, India. His research interests include forgiveness, body image, self-affirmation, self-compassion, metacognition, eyewitness memory, women's psychology, and mental health. In addition to actively supervising doctoral research and leading several interdisciplinary research projects with colleagues, research scholars, and Master's students in various psychological fields, he has a long list of publications.

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2026-06-22

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Rasheed. S M, A., Mishra, L. K., & Tiwari, G. K. (2026). Exploring the Role of Problem-based Learning in Fostering the Epistemological Beliefs of Psychology Students: A One-Group Pretest–Posttest Study. Journal of Psychological Perspective, 8(3), 131–142. https://doi.org/10.47679/jopp.8314772026

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Vol. 8 No. 3 (2026)

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Original Research Articles

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