Enhancing dental students' motivation and legal knowledge via courtroom role-playing.

BACKGROUND

The intersection of medicine and law necessitates enhanced medical-legal literacy among physicians to safeguard patient safety and uphold ethical standards. Traditional pedagogical approaches in medical-legal education often fail to engage students. Thus, innovative methods such as case-based and interdisciplinary learning must be explored. This study was conducted to investigate the benefits of integrating role-playing into the medical-legal curriculum at China Medical University, Taiwan. Specifically, we analyzed the effects of this integration on students' understanding of medical law and their learning motivation and learning outcomes.

METHODS

This 16-week study included 98 fourth-year dental students who had taken the Medicine and Law Course between 2022 and 2023. A role-playing-based courtroom drama was designed to improve the students' learning outcomes through practical engagement. This study was conducted in three stages. In Stage 1, the students engaged in guided reading in medical ethics and basic legal concepts. In Stage 2, they participated in an in-depth case analysis of medical lawsuits to identify judicial oversights and understand medical negligence. In Stage 3, they acted in the courtroom drama. Dentists, lawyers, and judges facilitated these activities and provided feedback after the drama. Intervention efficacy was assessed by evaluating the students' learning motivation and comprehension levels.

RESULTS

The drama substantially enhanced the students' understanding of legal problems in clinical practice, as indicated by high mean scores in appreciating the significance of law, adherence to legal norms, and prevention of medical disputes. Postdrama assessments revealed considerable improvements in the students' knowledge of judicial procedures and professional responsibilities. The intervention effectively augmented student engagement and realism in learning environments.

CONCLUSIONS

A multifaceted learning approach can foster cognitive, emotional, and practical skills essential for managing medical disputes. Role-playing may improve students' learning motivation, understanding, and attitudes toward medical law, thereby transforming medical-legal education.