Tailor active methodologies to the specific educational context and subject matter¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 4 claims (3 for, 1 mixed) · 1 study (1 review), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 4 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The review recommends that active learning methodologies be matched to the specific educational context, since their impact "can vary based on the subject matter and implementation". It states that integrating these approaches into dental curricula is essential to optimise student learning experiences and outcomes, and that mixed findings reinforce the importance of tailoring methodologies to the specific educational context.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Active methods must be selected with regard to subject matter, course design and assessment timing, which the review identifies as critical determinants of effectiveness

Constraints¶

• The review found no definitive superiority of active methods over traditional teaching, so tailoring recommendations rest on mixed evidence

Target Learners¶

• undergraduate dental students

Target Learning Goals¶

• clinical knowledge acquisition
• student engagement and motivation

Claims¶

• Active methodologies show no definitive superiority over traditional teaching in undergraduate dentistry [+W]
• PBL and flipped classrooms frequently show better post-test performance and knowledge retention than traditional methods [+W]
• Team-based learning showed significantly higher performance than traditional learning in one included study [+W]
• Lack of long-term follow-up limits evidence on sustained effectiveness of active methodologies [~W]

Related Strategies¶

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• Tailor institutional GenAI training to teachers' prior GenAI use experience
• Tailor AI deployment to specific applications and stakeholder groups rather than applying a one-size-fits-all integration approach

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• de Oliveira Carlota Rocha, da Silva Barboza Andressa, de Andrade Juliana Silva Ribeiro, Lund Rafael Guerra. (2026). Scoping Review on Active Teaching and Learning Methodologies in Dentistry. European Journal of Dental Education. https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.13109