Evaluating the effectiveness of problem-based learning combined with six thinking hats in oral pathology education

The PBL integrated with STH approach offers substantial benefits over traditional teaching methods, improving diagnostic accuracy, critical thinking, engagement, and knowledge retention in Oral Pathology. This innovative methodology encourages deeper analysis and collaboration, proving to be a highly effective educational tool for complex diagnostic cases especially in oral pathology which is the backbone for treatment, follow up, prognosis and quality of life of patients Also, implementation of PBL-STH in medical and dental curricula could enhance clinical reasoning and diagnostic skills across specialties.