Research into the efficacy of PBL in public school settings is still in the preliminary stage. Gallagher and Stepien (1996) found that secondary students using PBL in American studies did as well on multiple-choice tests as students using a traditional model of instruction. The PBL students also showed a better depth of understanding of the content. A study by Dods (1997) analyzed the performance of students in a biochemistry course using PBL. The PBL students were found to have content knowledge about equal to those in a traditional lecture course.