Impact of different teaching modes on medical students' performance under the scoring criteria for multiple-choice questions: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND

Comparing the impact of different educational modes on medical students' performance under the scoring criteria for multiple-choice questions, would provide a basis for selecting more appropriate and effective teaching modes for talent development.

METHODS

We searched databases such as CNKI, Wanfang, PubMed, and Web of Science to collect publications on the comparison of medical students' performance under the scoring criteria for multiple-choice questions and different teaching modes, with a focus on studies conducted between 2015 and 2024. Chinese search terms included multiple-choice questions, multiple-choice exam, medical students, flipped classroom, simulation teaching, team-based learning, and blended teaching. Equivalent English search terms were "multiple-choice questions," "multiple-choice exam," "medical student," "flipped classroom," "simulation teaching," "team-based learning," and "blended teaching." Two researchers independently conducted publications screening, data extraction, and quality assessment, and performed meta-analysis using R 4.3.0 software.

RESULTS

This study included a total of 24 publications, among them 6 on flipped classroom teaching, 13 on simulation teaching, 2 on team-based learning, and 3 on blended teaching, covering 13 countries and involving 2086 participants in the experimental group and 2113 participants in the control group. Using scores from multiple-choice questions as the criterion, flipped classroom teaching and simulation teaching demonstrated significantly higher scores compared to traditional teaching, with standard mean differences (MDs) of 0.39 (95% CI: 0.14-0.65) and 0.33 (95% CI: 0.18-0.48), respectively. However, team-based learning and blended teaching showed no significant differences in scores compared to traditional teaching, with standard MDs of 0.48 (95% CI: -0.36 to 1.31) and -0.63 (95% CI: -1.85 to 0.59), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Compared to traditional teaching, flipped classroom teaching and simulation teaching were more beneficial for students' performance. It is recommended to continue implementing high-quality flipped classroom teaching and simulation teaching to address the challenges in medical education reform.