Abstract. Many graduate and professional programs include Problem Based
Learning (PBL) as a mainstay in their curricula. For many undergraduate
students, this is a change from a teacher-centered to a student-centered learning
method. This study was undertaken to learn about perceptions and test
performances of college students (N=116) enrolled in liberal education classes
when PBL is used vs. traditional teaching methods. Results indicated students
perceived traditional teacher-centered learning more favorably than studentcentered
PBL. Nevertheless, test scores were similar. Negative student
perceptions about learning in PBL classes did not support either teacher
observations of learning activity in the classroom or compromised test
performances.