Dental students' perception of the impact of an integrated curriculum with active learning methodologies

The objective of this study was to analyze students' perceptions of an integrated curriculum focused on active learning through Problem-Based Learning and the Clinical Reasoning Learning Method in a Dentistry undergraduate course. Students answered a physical questionnaire that included sociodemographic information and academic cycle data. Perceptions were assessed through 13 objective questions, using a three-level Likert-type scale: Strongly Agree, Partially Agree, and Disagree. The questions were categorized into six perception domains, and responses were analyzed descriptively and comparatively using the Chi-square test with a significance level of 5%. A total of 316 students participated, predominantly female (71.8%), aged 21 to 25 years (45.8%), and in the preclinical cycle (40.1%). Students' perceptions indicated consistent overall acceptance of the integrated curriculum, regardless of sex. In Domain 1, a significant association was found between the academic cycle phase and student perceptions (p = 0.002). In Domains 2 to 6, no significant associations were observed. Overall, students realize that the methods promoted critical and reflective skills, the development of verbal and written communication, and facilitated the integration between theory and practice. Furthermore, teacher feedback motivated students to improve their performance. However, it is recommended to combining these methods with other teaching strategies to enhance educational performance and learning security.