Modernizing internship education in respiratory medicine: a proposition based on the TPACK theory and SAMR model

Traditional teaching methods in respiratory medicine internships often fall short in cultivating trainees’ clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills. While the TPACK and SAMR models have been increasingly applied in various health professions to enhance technology integration, their combined application and rigorous evaluation within the specialized domain of respiratory medicine clinical education remain underexplored. This represents a significant gap in the medical education literature. This pilot study aimed to develop and evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of a modernized internship teaching model for respiratory medicine, based on the integration of the TPACK theory and the SAMR model. This study selected 20 internal medicine trainees from Nanjing Medical University’s Yancheng Clinical Hospital (21–23 cohorts) as the experimental group, applying the teaching model based on the TPACK theory and SAMR model. The control group consisted of 20 trainees from the same cohorts who received traditional teaching methods. Teaching effectiveness was evaluated through theoretical examination scores and post-course satisfaction surveys. After the intervention, the experimental group scored significantly higher in theoretical examinations compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, the experimental group showed significantly higher teaching satisfaction (P < 0.05), with initial positive trends in course engagement, learning interest, and motivation for independent learning. The teaching model based on the TPACK theory and SAMR model showed initial positive effects in respiratory internship teaching. Given the exploratory nature of this pilot study, the potential for broader application in medical education requires further investigation with larger, multi-center trials to validate these preliminary effects and assess the model’s scalability.