Enseigner la psychologie et la recherche par l'apprentissage par problème : effets sur les besoins psychologiques des étudiants

The purpose of this study is to test the effect of a problem-based learning session (PBL) on the satisfaction of the three psychological needs: autonomy, competence and relatedness. Eighteen French 5th-year senior students in psychology (post-graduating students) participated in a PBL session and in a more conventional course (regular lecture). Following each session, the participants completed a questionnaire evaluating need's satisfaction. The results indicate a positive effect of the PBL on the satisfaction of autonomy, though we observe no difference between both teaching methods for competence and relatedness. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in the light of the self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2002).