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. 2024 Dec 26;24(1):1531.
doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-06550-4.

The effectiveness of integrating role play into case-based learning in dental education: enhancing critical thinking and teamwork skills

Nagla'a Abdel-Wahed  1 , Arwa Badahdah  2 , Akram F Qutob  3 , Lina Bahanan  3 , Sahar M N Bukhary  4
Affiliations

The effectiveness of integrating role play into case-based learning in dental education: enhancing critical thinking and teamwork skills

Nagla'a Abdel-Wahed et al. BMC Med Educ. .

Abstract

Background: Modern dental education necessitates dynamic methodologies to foster critical thinking and teamwork skills, which might include case-based learning (CBL) and role play (RP).

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the combined CBL and RP (CBL-RP) approaches on critical thinking and teamwork skills among dental students by comparing pre- and post-RP evaluation scores.

Methods: This pre-post intervention study was conducted at the Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The study involved all 193 third-year dental students, who were organized into groups of 7-9 members to participate in four CBL sessions. Each CBL session consisted of a detailed case scenario, a pre-RP presentation preparation, a CBL-RP session facilitated by a trained instructor, and a post-RP presentation. Case scenarios included demographic data, chief complaints, medical and dental histories, social history, clinical images, radiographs, caries assessment, periodontal charts, and questions targeting specific intended learning outcomes and social factors impacting oral health. Students' performances were evaluated pre- and post-RP using a standardized rubric focused on critical thinking and teamwork, with outcomes assessed through individual and collective scores. Outcomes were analysed using paired samples t-tests and repeated measures ANOVA.

Results: The study revealed significant improvements in total scores, combining critical thinking and teamwork, from pre- to post-RP evaluations across four sessions. Mean scores consistently increased post-RP (P < 0.001 for all sessions). Session scores, calculated as the averages of pre- and post-RP evaluations, showed a progressive increase from session 1 to session 4, indicating significant overall improvement (F = 16.8, P < 0.001). Pairwise comparisons identified session 4 as having significantly higher scores than the earlier sessions. Both teamwork and critical thinking scores showed significant increases from pre- to post-RP evaluations in each session (P < 0.001), with an upward trend in mean scores across sessions.

Conclusion: This interventional study demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating RP into CBL sessions in enhancing critical thinking and teamwork skills among dental students. This integration supports the efficacy of active learning and integrated educational strategies in engaging students and enhancing clinical learning outcomes.

Keywords: Case-based learning; Critical thinking; Dental education; Experiential learning; Role play; Teamwork.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethical approval was obtained by Research Ethics Committee at faculty of dentistry, king Abdulaziz university (REC-KAUFD), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Consent from participating students were waived by Research Ethics Committee at Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University (REC-KAUFD), since all the materials and methods in this study are just part of the regular academic curriculum. Consent for publication: By submitting this manuscript, we confirm that all authors consent to the publication of this work. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow chart describing the CBL-RP procedure
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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