Introduction: Educators over the last 2 decades have been debating on the most appropriate teaching method in large group setting. The conventional didactic lecture (CDL) model creates a one-way passive relationship that avoids transformative aspects of learning. Active Learning method like team based learning (TBL) that engages students in learning processes helps them to transform their own experience into knowledge. Team-based learning (TBL) has been successfully used in small group but its effectiveness in large group has not been studied extensively. Thus this study aimed to compare the effectiveness and perception of CDL verses TBL.

Methods: I year MBBS students (n=127) participated in the study. Four topics from the physiology chapter- central nervous system were selected; 2 topic were assigned for TBL ( Hypothalamus & cerebral cortex) and the other 2 for the CDL( muscle tone & body temperature, its regulation). Student performance on individual topics were compared between the 2 teaching learning methods  and p<0.05 was taken as the level of significance and  perception of TBL using Likert scale was recorded and reported in percentage .

 Results: There was a significant difference in the team performance in the TBL group, and also when compared in whole group performance with the CDL. 60 to 80 % of student’s perception on TBL was positive in terms of better preparation of topics and skill acquisition. 

Conclusion: This study reinstates that TBL is an effective active learning strategy in large groups and well perceived by learners when employed in a systems-based pre-clinical physiology.

Keywords: TBL, CDL, Perception, Physiology