Is the Flipped Classroom Approach More Effective Than Traditional Instruction in Enhancing Cognitive Gains in Preclinical Pediatric Dentistry Education?

Abstract

Background: The flipped classroom (FC) is a student-centered model that reallocates theoretical instruction outside class to enhance in-class engagement. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the FC model compared to traditional instruction in teaching caries removal in preclinical pediatric dentistry.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with 111 third-year dental students at SelçukUniversity. Participants were randomly assigned to either a traditional teaching group (n = 53) or an FC group (n = 58). Both groups received identical content on caries removal through an instructional video. The traditional group watched the video in class, followed by instructor-led teaching and practice. In contrast, the FC group accessed the video online before class and participated in interactive sessions and practical exercises during class. A 17-item multiple-choice test was administered before and after the education to evaluate cognitive gains.

Results: Both groups demonstrated improvement in post-test scores compared to pre-test results. The mean gain score was 1.11 (±1.77) for the traditional group and 1.24 (±1.89) for the FC group, with no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P = .713). However, question-based analysis revealed that the FC group achieved higher gains in clinical reasoning questions (e.g., pulp management and occlusal contacts), while the traditional group performed better in technical knowledge areas.

Conclusion: Although both methods improved learning, the FC was more effective for topics requiring conceptual understanding and clinical reasoning. These findings suggest that the teaching model should be selected based on pedagogical objectives.

Cite this article as: Aşar EM, Botsalı MS. Is the flipped classroom approach more effective than traditional instruction in enhancing cognitive gains in preclinical pediatric dentistry education?. Essent Dent. 2026, 5, 0088, doi:10.5152/EssentDent.2026.25088.