Debating: effective and satisfactory learning method in dentistry

Abstract Background Education in the modern world of health needs diverse methods of learning and teaching. The traditional education model has limited capacity for developing abilities such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and reasoning skills. Therefore, improving the quality of teaching–learning processes requires implementing educational innovations in the classroom and evaluating them. This study aimed to determine the impact of the debate teaching method on improving the abilities of general dentistry doctoral students. Methods The research was a semi-experimental study with pre-tests and post-tests to measure the knowledge and abilities of students. The study included 60 dental students who completed the fall 2022 session of the Community Oral Health (COH) 2 practical course. This course, one of three practical components within the Community Oral Health curriculum, aligns with the educational framework of general dentistry. Challenging topics on which there is no consensus in dentistry were chosen for the debate. The descriptive statistics indicators include an independent t-test and variance analysis test with a significance level of 5%. Were used to analyze the data. Results The results of the study showed that the average total knowledge ( P < 0.001), 'perception of critical thinking skills ( P < 0.001), expression power ( P < 0.001), reasoning skills ( P = 0.003), interpretation and Information analysis power ( P < 0.001), the ability to find and use scientific databases ( P < 0.001) and the ability to analyze and evaluate evidence ( P < 0.001) increased significantly after intervention in students. 95% of students agreed/strongly agreed that this method enhances their ability to answer people's questions. From an instructor’s point of view, students had 93.1% of the ability to reason and analyze information after intervention and 88.5% of the ability to think critically. Conclusion The results of the study showed that the use of debate in the classroom is an effective way to present content. The process of evaluating data-driven arguments promotes higher-level cognitive skills and teaches students about the knowledge base and the use of scientific databases. Trial registration Registration date: 21/11/2022, Registration number: IRCT20141128020129N3.