Differential equation courses in engineering are often perceived as abstract and of limited practical relevance. This study examined the impact of integrating Problem-Based Learning (PBL) into course lectures, compared with traditional frontal instruction, while maintaining an identical syllabus, tutorials, and assessment structure.
The study included 59 students enrolled in electronics, chemistry, and polymer engineering programs (31 control; 28 PBL). Academic performance indicators were collected (mean assignment grades, midterm, and final exam grades), along with persistence measures (attendance and assignment submission rates) and motivation questionnaire data (N = 49). Group differences, correlations, and linear regression predicting the final course grade were analyzed.
Findings indicate a consistent pattern favoring the PBL group across achievement measures. A statistically significant difference was found in mean assignment grades and submission rates, and a consistent positive trend was observed in exam grades and overall course grade, although statistical significance was not reached. In both groups, attendance was positively associated with achievement; however, this association was stronger under traditional instruction, suggesting reduced reliance on frontal attendance in the PBL environment. Regression analysis identified mean assignment grades as the primary predictor of the final course grade.
Statistically significant differences favoring PBL were found across all motivation dimensions, including self-efficacy, interest and enjoyment, value and relevance, and persistence, indicating a broad and consistent impact on engagement, perceived value, and learner responsibility.
These findings emphasize that integrating PBL into engineering mathematics primarily affects learning processes and motivation, sharpening the distinction between learning as a process and achievement as a summative outcome. The study contributes to mathematics instruction in higher education by proposing a framework that distinguishes formal achievement from learning processes and engagement as complementary components of academic success, and by reinforcing the need to reconsider success metrics so that they reflect not only examination outcomes but also depth of learning and learner responsibility.
