Objectives: The first purpose of this project was to determine whether an interdisciplinary and cross-grade teaching model impacts students' learning enthusiasm and their views on this teaching method. The second purpose was to determine whether the model positively impacted students' theoretical course exam scores.
Methods: We recruited 203 pre-clinical undergraduate dental students, including 104 third- and 99 fourth-grade students. The study was conducted in experimental classes for the "Dental Materials" course in the third-grade program (focusing on cement material mixing techniques) and the "Endodontics Practice" course in the fourth-grade program (focusing on the preparation and filling of Class II cavities). The interventions were implemented before, during, and after the class. We assessed students' attitudes toward this teaching method and changes in their course scores.
Results: The survey questionnaire assessed the students' levels of learning enthusiasm, professional competence, and classroom effectiveness, all of which demonstrated significant improvement. The average scores for lab operations, quizzes, and usual performance exhibited a substantial increase (p < 0.001). The average score of the final examination increased from 75.61 to 78.17 (p = 0.008).
Conclusions: Significant enhancement in students' learning attitudes, course scores, collaborative abilities, and innovation capacities were observed following the interdisciplinary and cross-grade teaching method. Furthermore, the overall classroom efficiency improved. This teaching method can expand the scope of future research.
Keywords: cross‐grade; dental materials; educational methodology; interdisciplinary class; teaching effectiveness; teaching methods; undergraduate education.
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