The Influence of Problem Based Learning PBL On Mathematics Learning Systematic Literature Review

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The Inﬂuence of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on Mathematics Learning:

Systematic Literature Review
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International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and
Development
Vol. 1 1 , No. 3, 2022, E-ISSN: 2 2 2 6 -6348 © 2022 HRMARS
The Influence of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on

Mathematics Learning: Systematic Literature Review
Chai Ee Laine & Muhammad Sofwan Mahmud
To Link this Article: http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v11-i3/15033 DOI:10.6007/IJARPED/v11-i3/15033
Received: 16 July 2022, Revised: 20 August 2022, Accepted: 08 September 2022
Published Online: 25 September 2022
In-Text Citation: (Laine & Mahmud, 2022)

To Cite this Article: Laine, C. E., & Mahmud, M. S. (2022). The Influence of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on
Mathematics Learning: Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Academic Research in
Progressive Education and Development, 11(3), 1120–1137.
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The Influence of Problem-Based Learning (PBL)

on Mathematics Learning: Systematic Literature
Review
Chai Ee Laine & Muhammad Sofwan Mahmud
Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Abstract
Problem-based learning (PBL) is one of the approaches that is believed can help in improving
students’ thinking skills and thus improve students’ 21st-century learning skills. This study
aimed to understand the influence of PBL on math learning by examining the existing
literature. This study can help teachers to know the influence of PBL on math learning before
implementing PBL in their teaching. Other than that, researchers can know the gaps in math
learning methods, especially for the PBL method. The methodology used for this study was
the PRISMA approach. A total of 20 articles from 2018 to 2022 have been obtained from two
databases, SCOPUS and WOS, and were selected based on three stages in the PRISMA model,
namely the identification, screening, and inclusion stages. The findings of the analysis indicate
that implementing PBL can improve students’ academic achievement in mathematics,
improve students’ understanding of topics in mathematics, improve students’ thinking skills
as well as improve students’ ability to solve math problems. Furthermore, in terms of affective
domains, implementing PBL can help promote students’ self-learning and improve their group
work and communication skills. Moreover, students’ attitudes toward math learning became
more positive after implementing the PBL. However, successfully implementing PBL requires
students to participate in group activities actively. With that in mind, teachers are encouraged
to build a learning environment that can promote students’ involvement in PBL activities and
help in their learning process. As a recommendation, further studies can be conducted to
review in-depth the readiness of teachers to implement PBL in learning mathematics.
Keywords: Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Mathematical Learning, Influence, Systematic
Literature Review, 21st-century Learning Skills
Introduction
Education nowadays emphasizes producing students who are skilled in the 21st century and
have a holistic personality to meet the latest challenges to be globally competitive. In this
regard, the focus of education has shifted from teacher-centered to student-centered.
Education nowadays has a stronger emphasis on 21st-century learning, especially using
thinking and communication in problem-solving. Math education focuses on developing
students with cognitive skills, including problem-solving, reasoning, and creative and
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innovative thinking. Problem-based learning (PBL) is one of the teaching strategies that is
believed to improve students’ 21st-century learning skills, especially high-order thinking skills
(HOTS). This situation is evident as PBL is believed to help improve students’ critical thinking
skills (Aliyu, 2019) and increase students’ motivation in problem-solving (Suwono & Dewi,
2019).
The PBL method was first implemented in K12 schools in the United States for various
subjects in 1993 by Barrows and Kelson (Torp & Sage, 1998). However, PBL has become an
innovative learning technique that is becoming increasingly popular in education worldwide
(Silva et al., 2018). The PBL method involves five main steps: understanding the problem,
discussion in the collaborative team, solution, reflection, and results (Barrows, 1996). In
implementing PBL, students need to try to understand the problem, work with the group
members in discussions, search for information from various sources, and apply the
information found by the group members to solve the problem. Furthermore, students are
given the opportunity and space to solve real-life problems by discussing in groups to find
solutions through PBL. Thus, it is believed that implementing PBL in the learning process can
improve students’ problem-solving skills and group work skills in the process of solving
problems in groups (Mokter, 2019).
With that, this study was carried out to systematically summarize the influence of
problem-based learning (PBL) on mathematical learning. This systematic review was carried
out based on the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and
Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 model. The main issues addressed in this paper are:
• What is the trend of research about PBL’s impact on math learning, such as research
design, participants, school level, and country population?
• What is the impact of PBL on math learning from cognitive and affective aspects?
Methodology
The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020
model has been used in this study. The procedure follows the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, which
include three stages: identification, screening, and inclusion.
Identification
As reported in the PRISMA 2020 guidelines by Page et al (2021), the first stage is identification.
Essential keywords in this review paper are Problem-Based Learning (PBL), influence, and
learning mathematics. For a broader database, synonyms for related keywords have been
used. Furthermore, field code functions and Boolean operators have been used to combine
related keywords, as shown in Table 1. This combination of keywords facilitates searching
literature that is closely related to and more relevant to the title of this study.
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Table 1
The search string used for each database
Database Search String
SCOPUS TITLE-ABS-KEY ( ( "problem-based learning" ) AND ( effect* OR influence*
OR efficient* OR impact* OR consequence* OR effectiveness ) AND ( math*
OR "math* education" ) )
WOS TS=(("problem-based learning") AND (effect* OR influence* OR efficient*
OR impact* OR consequence* OR effectiveness) AND ( math* OR
"math* education" ))
In this study, two primary databases are used to obtain data sources: SCOPUS and Web
of Science (WOS). Through this selected database, a total of 627 relevant articles have been
obtained and summarized in Table 2. Table 2 shows the number of articles encountered for
different databases. However, after issuing the articles that were duplicated, 561 articles
were identified.
Table 2
Number of articles encountered for each database
Database Number of Articles
SCOPUS 415
WOS 212
Screening
After identifying the literature related to this study, the next stage is screening. Several
selection criteria determine the eligibility and exclusion of an article in the study of this
literature review. These selection criteria will effectively help screen the article that is more
relevant to the study. The first criterion is the year of publication of an article. This literature
review limits the year of publication of the article in the last five years to the most recent
year, i.e., between 2018 and 2022. Other than that, only journal articles are included in this
research, while other documents such as proceedings, systematic studies, and books have
been excluded. Finally, articles with languages not in English or Malay have been excluded.
Table 3 shows the summary of the selection criteria for this literature review.
Table 3
Summary of eligibility and exclusion criteria
Criterion Eligibility Exclusion
Year of Publication Between 2018 and 2022 Before 2018
Document Type Journal Articles Proceedings, systematic studies, books
Language English or Malay Not English or Malay
As a result, this screening process has excluded 466 articles as they do not meet the
selection criteria for this literature review. Based on the eligibility criteria, 95 articles have
been filtered. In the next step, these articles have been assessed to determine whether the
article meets the study’s objectives. However, 18 articles were not included in this literature
review because the articles were incomplete or could not be found in full articles. As a result,
only 76 articles will be assessed in the next step to determine the articles’ summary in this
literature review.
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The next step in the screening is to assess whether the relevant article is worthy of
inclusion in the analysis. In this step, the article will be excluded from this literature review
because it is unrelated to the study’s objectives. To ensure the articles included in the analysis
are related, the article has been carefully read by reading the header, abstract, or entire
article. From this process, 56 articles unrelated to the impact of PBL on learning or
mathematics are excluded. Finally, only 20 articles were included in this literature review.
Inclusion
This literature review is concerned with the influence of PBL on mathematical learning. Figure
1 shows the flow chart for identification, screening, and inclusion procedures based on the
PRISMA 2020 model reserved by (Page et al., 2021). As a result, 20 articles selected from the
SCOPUS and WOS databases could potentially be included in this literature review. Table 4
shows a summary of the 20 related articles.
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Figure 1. PRISMA 2020 model flowchart adapted from Page et al (2021)
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Table 4
Summary of study findings
Research Study
No Author (Year) School Level Country
Design Participants
Kong and Matore Quantitative Secondary Malaysia
1 Students
(2022) School
Kamid et al. (2021) Mixed Students Secondary Indonesia
2
Method Teachers School
3 Mairing (2021) Quantitative Students University Indonesia
Mujumdar et al Quantitative University India
4 Students
(2021)
Amin et al (2021) Mixed Secondary Indonesia
5 Students
Method School
6 Din et al (2020) Qualitative Students University Malaysia
Tawfik et al (2020) Quantitative University United
7 Students
State
Fitriani et al (2020) Quantitative Secondary Indonesia
8 Students
School
Ramli et al (2020) Quantitative Secondary Malaysia
9 Students
School
Ahdhianto et al Quantitative Primary School Indonesia
10 Students
(2020)
Arifin et al (2020) Quantitative Secondary Indonesia
11 Students
School
Maskur et al (2020) Quantitative Secondary Indonesia
12 Students
School
Prastiti (2020) Quantitative Secondary Indonesia
13 Students
School
14 Darhim et al (2020) Quantitative Students University Indonesia
Navy and Kaya Mixed Primary School United
15 Teachers
(2020) Method State
Syaiful et al (2019) Quantitative Secondary Indonesia
16 Students
School
Rahmi et al (2019) Quantitative Students Secondary Indonesia
17
Teachers School
18 Al Said et al (2019) Qualitative Teachers Primary School Qatar
Ramadhani et al Quantitative Secondary Indonesia
19 Students
(2019) School
20 Ertikanto et al (2018) Quantitative Students University Indonesia
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Study Findings
Selected Article Background
Before the influence of PBL was analyzed, the background of these selected articles was
analyzed according to the research design, study participants, school level, and the country
in which the study was carried out.
Research Design
Of the 20 articles selected, most of the articles with a 75% percentage take the form of
quantitative studies. In addition, two articles (Din et al., 2020; Fitriani et al., 2020) were
carried out using a qualitative approach, while three articles (Amin et al., 2021; Kamid et al.,
2021; Navy and Kaya, 2020) used the mixed method, which combines quantitative design and
qualitative design. Figure 2 shows the summary of the research design used for the 20 articles
included in this literature review to examine the influence of PBL on Mathematics learning.
Research Design
3
15%
2 Quantitative
10% Qualitative
Mixed Method
15
75%
Figure 2. Research design
Study Participants
Regarding study participants, 18 of 20 studies involved students using questionnaires or pre-
test and post-test. In addition, interviews and observations were carried out for four articles
involving teachers to collect data. 2 of these 20 articles (Kamid et al., 2021; Rahmi et al., 2019)
involved students and teachers in their study. Table 5 summarizes the study participants for
these 20 articles included in this literature review to examine the effect of PBL on
mathematics learning.
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Table 5
Study Participants
Article
Study Participants Author (Year)
Numbers
Students 18 Kong and Matore (2022); Kamid et al (2021);
Mairing (2021); Mujumdar et al (2021); Amin
et al (2021); Din et al (2020); Tawfik et al
(2020); Fitriani et al (2020); Ramli et al (2020);
Ahdhianto et al (2020); Arifin et al (2020);
Maskur et al (2020); Prastiti (2020); Darhim et
al (2020); Syaiful et al; (2019); Rahmi et al
(2019); Ramadhani et al (2019); Ertikanto et al
(2018)
Teachers 4 Kamid et al (2021); Navy and Kaya (2020);
Rahmi et al (2019); Al Said et al (2019)
School Level
Of the 20 articles selected, it was found that most studies were carried out at the university
with a percentage of 55%. In contrast, three studies (Ahdhianto et al., 2020; Al Said et al.,
2019; Navy and Rich, 2020) were carried out in primary schools, while six studies (Arifin et al.,
2020; Fitriani et al., 2020; Kamid et al., 2021; Maskur et al., 2020; Prastiti, 2020; Syaiful et al.,
2019) were carried out in secondary schools. Figure 3 shows the school level for the 20 articles
included in this literature review to examine the influence of PBL on Mathematics learning.
School Level
3
15%
6
30%
Primary School
Secondary School
University
11
55%
Figure 3. School Level
Country Population
Figure 4 shows the population of countries that study the influence of PBL on the learning of
Mathematics. Of these 20 articles, Indonesia has conducted most studies to study the
influence of PBL on math learning, which is 65%. Next, three studies (Din et al., 2020; Kong
and Matore, 2022; Ramli et al., 2020) were conducted in Malaysia, while two studies (Navy
and Kaya, 2020; Tawfik et al., 2020) were conducted in the United States. Moreover, 1 study
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(Mujumdar et al., 2020) was conducted in India, and another was conducted in Qatar (Al Said
et al., 2019).
Country Population
2 1
10% 5%
1
5%
India
3 Indonesia
15%
Malaysia
Qatar
13 United States
65%
Figure 4. Country population
Influence of PBL on Mathematical Learning

In this study, 20 articles were analyzed to examine the influence of PBL on mathematical
learning. Based on the analysis of the study, the implementation of the PBL method will affect
the Students from 2 aspects, namely the cognitive aspect and the affective aspect. Table 6
shows the summary of the influence of PBL on mathematics learning.
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Table 6 Summary of the influence of PBL on the learning of mathematics
Cognitive Aspects Affective Aspects
Author Problem Group
No Academic Students Thinking Self- Communication
(Year) Solving Attitude Work
Achievements Understanding Skills Learning Skills
Skills Skills
Kong &
1 Matore √ √
(2022)
Kamid et al
2 √ √ √
(2021)
Mairing
3 √ √ √
(2021)
Mujumdar et
4 √
al (2021)
Amin et al
5 √
(2021)
Din et al
6 √ √ √ √
(2020)
Tawfik et al
7 √ √ √
(2020)
Fitriani et al
8 √ √
(2020)
Ramli et al
9 √ √ √
(2020)
Ahdhianto et
10 √ √
al (2020)
Arifin et al
11 √
(2020)
Maskur et al
12 √
(2020)
Prastiti
13 √ √
(2020)
Darhim et al
14 √ √ √
(2020)
Navy & Kaya
15 √
(2020)
Syaiful et al
16 √ √ √
(2019)
Rahmi et al
17
(2019)
(Al Said et al.,
18 √ √ √ √ √ √
2019)
Ramadhani
19 √ √ √ √
et al (2019)
Ertikanto et
20 √ √
al (2018)
Total 8 4 9 11 4 4 3 4
PBL Influence on Cognitive Aspects

In cognitive aspects, the implementation of PBL can improve students’ achievement in
mathematics, improve students’ understanding of topics in mathematics, improve students’
thinking skills, and improve students’ ability to solve math problems. A total of 8 articles
discussed the improvement of academic achievement, 4 discussed the improvement of
students’ understanding, 9 discussed the improvement of students’ thinking skills, and 11
discussed the improvement of students’ ability in problem-solving. Figure 5 summarizes the
influence of PBL from the cognitive aspect.
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PBL Influence on Cognitive Aspects

12
11
10
9
8
8
4
4
0
Academic Achievements Students Understanding Thinking Skills Problem Solving Skills
Figure 5. The influence of PBL from cognitive aspects
Through the analysis of 20 articles in question, a total of 8 articles discussed the

improvement of students’ academic achievement in mathematics. In this context, five studies
were conducted in secondary school. Applying the PBL method creates a better learning
outcome than conventional teaching methods (Kong & Matore, 2022; Prastiti, 2020; Ramli et
al., 2020). Teachers involved in the study of Kamid et al (2021) also argue that
ethnomathematics learning methods integrated with the PBL model improved students’
learning outcomes more effectively. Furthermore, the results of learning mathematics for
students that taught using the PBL method integrated with flipped classrooms experienced a
significant improvement compared to conventional learning (Ramadhani et al., 2019).
Apart from that, three studies conducted at the university also show an increase in
students’ academic achievement. Mujumdar et al (2021); Ertikanto et al (2018) concluded
that the introduction of the PBL model had a significant influence on students’ learning
outcomes. Furthermore, PBL learning methods integrated with videos and worksheets also
enhance students’ academic achievement as this method encourages students to engage
actively (Mairing, 2021). Thus, it can be said that the PBL model can influence students’
academic achievement, whether applied directly or integrated with other methods.
As for the student’s understanding, four studies show an increase in students’

understanding through the PBL method. One of the studies (Navy & Kaya, 2020) shows that
the PBL method can improve students’ understanding of topics in mathematics in primary
school by helping them connect learning with their real life. Moreover, three other studies
have been conducted at the university. University students taught using PBL performed
highest in understanding mathematical concepts compared to the case-based learning and
the conventional method (Tawfik et al., 2020). Moreover, integrating PBL with videos and
worksheets can build a meaningful understanding in students because students are actively
learning through this method (Mairing, 2021). Also, integrating PBL with the inverted
classroom can give students a deeper and more precise understanding of the Mathematics
syllabus (Din et al., 2020).
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In addition, 9 studies show the influence of PBL in improving students’ thinking skills.
Implementing PBL in learning mathematics can improve students’ thinking skills (Arifin et al.,
2020; Darhim et al., 2020; Ertikanto et al., 2018) and creative thinking skills (Ertikanto et al.,
2018; Maskur et al., 2020). A study conducted by Tawfik et al (2020) on university students
found that PBL helps develop students’ reasoning skills.
If students’ thinking skills are improved, their ability to solve math problems will also be
affected. Four studies show the influence of PBL in improving students’ thinking skills and
ability to solve math problems. First, PBL effectively improves the thinking skills of students in
primary school and indirectly improves students’ ability to solve mathematical problems
(Ahdhianto et al., 2020). This view is consistent with the teachers’ viewpoint that PBL is a
learning method that can help students enhance their ability to think and solve mathematical
problems (Al Said et al., 2019). Besides, the PBL method will help students solve mathematical
problems as it can improve their creative thinking skills (Ramli et al., 2020). Also, the study by
Kamid et al (2021) shows that the ethnomathematics learning method integrated with the
PBL model improves students’ thinking and problem-solving skills more.
Furthermore, seven studies showed the influence of PBL in enhancing kids’

mathematical problem-solving abilities. Implementing PBL can enhance the ability of
secondary school students to solve mathematical problems effectively (Prastiti, 2020; Syaiful
et al., 2019). Rahmi et al. (2019) found that learning to use PBL-based devices significantly
impacted students’ ability to solve math problems. They also revealed that math problem-
solving skills for students studying with PBL implemented using mobile devices are higher
than in conventional learning. Furthermore, integrating PBL with the predict-observe-explain
(POE) approach is more effective in improving students’ problem-solving ability than simply
using a POE approach or conventional learning (Fitriani et al., 2020).
Influence of PBL from Affective Aspects

In terms of affective aspects, implementing PBL helps improve students’ attitudes
towards mathematics, self-learning, communication, and group work skills. Based on the
analysis, four articles discuss students’ attitudes toward mathematics to be positive through
the implementation of PBL, and four articles discuss the influence of PBL in promoting
students’ self-learning in mathematics. In addition, three articles discuss the improvement of
communication skills through the implementation of PBL, while four articles discuss the
improvement of group work skills through the implementation of PBL. Figure 6 summarizes
the influence of PBL from the affective aspect.
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Influence of PBL from the Affective Aspects

4.5
4 4 4
4
3.5
3
3
2.5
1.5
0.5
0
Positive Attitude Self-learning Communication Skills Group work Skills
Figure 5. The influence of PBL from affective aspects
Through the analysis of the 20 articles, four articles discussing the implementation of
PBL can positively influence students’ attitudes toward mathematics. In this context, three
studies were conducted in secondary school, while another was conducted in primary school.
The primary school teachers involved in the study believe that PBL is a practical approach to
benefit students’ learning by increasing their interest in learning mathematics through the
PBL approach (Al Said et al., 2019). Moreover, implementing PBL makes students feel more
enthusiastic and motivated to participate in learning mathematics in the classroom
(Ramadhani et al., 2019). As a result, PBL affects the development of a better attitude of
students toward mathematics (Kong & Mohd Matore, 2022; Syaiful et al., 2019).
Next, four articles discuss the influence of PBL in promoting self-learning. The study by
Al Said et al (2019) found that implementing PBL can help promote self-learning for primary
school students. Fitriani et al (2020) believe that integrating PBL with the predict-observe-
explain (POE) approach is more effective in promoting the self-learning of secondary school
students than simply using the POE approach or conventional learning. As for the university,
students who learn mathematics through the PBL approach showed higher self-learning than
conventional learning (Din et al., 2020; Tawfik et al., 2020).
In addition, three articles discussed the influence of PBL on students’ communication

skills, especially in mathematics. The implementation of PBL is more effective than
conventional learning in improving the communication skills of students in secondary school
in mathematics (Ramadhani et al., 2019; Syaiful et al., 2019). Primary school teachers also
argue that implementing PBL helps improve students’ communication skills in mathematics
(Al Said et al., 2019).
The implementation of PBL requires students to communicate in pairs or discuss in

groups. Thus, learning mathematics through the PBL approach can promote students’
teamwork skills (Al Said et al., 2019). Students in secondary school who were involved felt
more eager to have a discussion in the group during PBL activities because they could work
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together to find information and find answers. Implementing PBL in mathematics in university
can also help promote students’ group work skills (Darhim et al., 2020; Din et al., 2020).
Discussion
The implementation of the PBL method can help in improving the academic achievement of
students in secondary school (Kamid et al., 2021; Kong & Matore, 2022; Prastity, 2020;
Ramadhani et al., 2019; Ramli et al., 2020) or university (Ertikanto et al. 2018; Mairing 2021;
Mujumdar et al. 2020). However, the influence of implementing the PBL method on improving
primary school academic achievement is still unclear. Thus, further studies can be conducted
on students in primary school to examine the influence of PBL implementation on students’
academic achievement. Furthermore, implementing PBL can also improve students’
understanding as students can connect learning with their real life (Navy & Rich, 2020). In
addition, students need to search for information on problem-solving (Mairing, 2021). Thus,
implementing PBL is said to help students understand mathematical concepts and increase
their involvement in learning.
Implementing PBL requires students to think critically to solve a problem related to

them given by teachers. With that in mind, PBL influences students’ thinking skills, especially
critical thinking (Arifin et al., 2020; Darhim et al., 2020; Ertikanto et al., 2018) and creative
thinking (Ertikanto et al., 2018; Maskur et al., 2020). Furthermore, as Tawfik et al (2020) have
indicated, learning through the PBL method requires students to use reasoning to solve
mathematical problems. Therefore, if students’ skills are improved, their ability to solve math
problems will be directly improved. Thus, it is believed that the PBL method effectively
improves students’ ability to solve mathematical problems (Ahdhianto et al., 2020; Al Said et
al., 2019; Kamid et al., 2021; Ramli et al., 2020).
In terms of the affective aspect, the attitude and motivation of students in learning
mathematics have been enhanced through the implementation of PBL (Al Said et al., 2019;
Kong & Mohd Matore, 2022; Ramadhani et al., 2019; Syaiful et al., 2019) as they engage
themselves in finding the correct answers and solutions to a problem. In addition, their self-
learning is also encouraged because they have familiarized themselves with the search for
this solution (Al Said et al., 2019; Din et al., 2020; Fitriani et al., 2020; Tawfik et al., 2020). As
they face a problem in the future, they will use their way of finding the solution that they are
in their daily lives.
In addition, implementing this PBL also influences students’ ability to interact socially.
PBL can improve the communication skills of students (Al Said et al., 2019; Ramadhani et al.,
2019; Syaiful et al., 2019) as well as teamwork skills (Al Said et al., 2019; Darhim et al., 2020;
Din et al., 2020; Ramadhani et al., 2019). The implementation of PBL encourages students to
find solutions to problems through discussion in pairs or groups. Thus, communication and
teamwork skills can indeed be improved through implementing PBL. However, studies on
educators’ readiness to guide students in PBL activities or provide a learning environment
that can encourage discussion between students are still lacking. With that, further studies
can be carried out to identify the readiness of educators to implement PBL.
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Conclusion
This systematic review has analyzed 20 articles selected from the SCOPUS and WOS databases
to examine the influence of problem-based learning (PBL) on mathematical learning. Based
on these 20 articles, the results show that implementing PBL can positively influence students’
mathematics learning from cognitive and affective aspects. Implementing PBL can improve
students’ academic achievement in mathematics, understanding of topics in mathematics,
understanding of topics in mathematics, and thinking skills, in addition to improving students’
ability to solve math problems. In addition, students’ attitudes towards mathematics became
more positive after implementing the PBL. Implementing PBL also promotes students’ self-
learning and improves group work and communication skills, especially in group activities.
Overall, the influence of PBL on math learning is favorable not only in aspects of
cognitive but also affective. Therefore, teachers are encouraged to use PBL in Mathematics
teaching and learning sessions to benefit students in the cognitive and affective domains.
However, successfully implementing PBL requires students’ active involvement in group
activities. With that in mind, teachers must build a learning environment that can increase
students’ engagement in PBL activities and guide their learning. As a recommendation,
further studies can be conducted to review in-depth the readiness of teachers to implement
PBL in learning mathematics.
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The Inﬂuence of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on Mathematics Learning:

Ee Laine Chai Muhammad Sofwan Mahmud

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Received: 16 July 2022, Revised: 20 August 2022, Accepted: 08 September 2022

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The Influence of Problem-Based Learning (PBL)

Figure 1. PRISMA 2020 model flowchart adapted from Page et al (2021)

Figure 2. Research design

Figure 3. School Level

Figure 4. Country population

Influence of PBL on Mathematical Learning

PBL Influence on Cognitive Aspects

PBL Influence on Cognitive Aspects

Figure 5. The influence of PBL from cognitive aspects

Through the analysis of 20 articles in question, a total of 8 articles discussed the

As for the student’s understanding, four studies show an increase in students’

Furthermore, seven studies showed the influence of PBL in enhancing kids’

Influence of PBL from Affective Aspects

Influence of PBL from the Affective Aspects

Figure 5. The influence of PBL from affective aspects

In addition, three articles discussed the influence of PBL on students’ communication

The implementation of PBL requires students to communicate in pairs or discuss in

Implementing PBL requires students to think critically to solve a problem related to

Classroom Assistance in Improving. Akademika, 90(2), 63–78.

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