Science and Education, Special Issue, 2, 2017 74 Sara Adarvishi 1 , Narjes Kazemi 2 , Narges Majidipour 3 , Shahzad Mehranfard 4 , Somaieh Bosak 5 * 1: MSc in Internal Surgical Nursing, department of Paramedical sciences, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran. 2: MSc in Education of Medical Surgical Nursing, Department of nursing, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran. 3. MSc in neonatal intensive care nursing, Department of nursing, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran. 4. MSc in intensive care nursing, Department of nursing, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran. 5 * .Correspondence: MSc in education of psychiatric Nursing, Department of nursing, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran. COMPARISON BETWEEN PROBLEM-SOLVING LEARNING WITH LECTURE ON THE SOCIAL PROBLEMS SOLVING SKILL AND LEARNING OF NURSING STUDENTS Abstract background: using other teaching methods such as PBL combined with traditional method such as lecture can improve the learning and social problem solving skill in the student. The purpose of this study is to determine Comparison be- tween problem-solving learning with lecture on the social problems solving skill and learning of nursing students Method: This study is a quasi-experimental study was performed on two groups of 43 nursing students in Dezful University of Medical Sciences in Iran. This study carried on two consecutive semesters; the first and second semesters of the academic year 2016-2017. In the intervention group, the PBL method and in the control group, the lecture meth- od was used. The data collection tools were a demographic questionnaire and revised social problem solving (SPSI-R). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS21 software and MANCOVA and ANCOVA. Results: The mean of problem-solving and learning scores in two semesters in the intervention group was more than the control group. The mean score of learning was significantly increase in intervention group ( = 2.96). However, there was no significant difference in the social problem solving skill between the two groups. Discussion and Conclusion: The problem-solving learning method is more effective on nursing students' learning than lectures; however, none of the above methods has been superior to the other in promoting social problem solving skills. Keywords: problem-solving learning method, lecture, social problem solving skill, learning, nursing students. Introduction Learning is one of the most important elements for as- sessing the usefulness of educational methods. According to the theory of Educational psychologists, learning would be better and its effects would be more durable when it is along with active participation of learners in learning. Today, the emphasis of the educational researchers is to use modern inclusive approaches. There are some evi- dences that students, using better problem-solving, can utilize basic lessons on the patient's bedside and use their information and skills more successfully (1). Teaching by problem solving method is one of the new methods of teaching that has been implemented in many universities of the world and in many medical, nursing, midwifery and dentistry disciplines (2). Problem-solving skills' training refers to a cognitive- behavioral process that provides a variety of alternative and potential responses to deal with problematic situa- tions and increases the possibility of choosing the best and most effective alternative responses. In problem solv- ing methods, education is based on the expression or design of a problem or disease, its definition, discussion and thinking about it (2). In this case, students are grouped into groups and participate in the discussion of the subject or issue; they collect the materials needed to solve it and discuss the questions related to it. Students, through group discussion, master on the learning needs and develop their individual knowledge base. The starting point for the learning process in this method is thinking about solving the problem, and the students determine their educational goals in the group (3). This method is student-centered, and the professor has only the role of a counselor, provides guidance for the problem, introduces the required resources to the students, answers the ques- tions and deficiencies in the discussion, and, finally, con- clude and complete the subject matter and, rarely speaks; so that, training the problem solving skill can be consid- ered as a process of helping individuals to grow, and thus, increasing the probability of effective coping in a wide range of situations (4). In the traditional method of teaching in universities, which is a master's approach, all the content of the course is expressed only by a speaker (professor), and the student should receive and memorize the content as prepared; however, in new training strategies, the student faces a problem raised by the professor, and he has to solve it based on the needed skills and knowledge, his experienc- es and the study of the related issues (3). Research shows that, in the traditional ways of teach- ing, the materials remembered by the student will last for a maximum of only 8 months, and then, they will be for- gotten and need to be repeated. Also, teaching a lecture by