Comparison of <scp>JB4</scp> plastic resin and standard paraffin methods on student performance and student perspectives in digital histology education: A randomized controlled study

This randomized controlled study compared the effectiveness of histological preparations embedded in glycol methacrylate-based JB4 plastic resin with traditional paraffin blocks in digital histology education. A total of 297 second-year medical students at Sivas Cumhuriyet University participated. After a theoretical lecture on epithelial histology, students completed a pre-test and an immediate post-test before being randomly assigned to JB4 or paraffin groups. Both groups received laboratory instruction with their respective preparations displayed on a large screen, followed by a post-intervention test, a drawing-based performance assessment, and a follow-up test administered 3 months later. Quantitative results showed that the JB4 group achieved significantly higher scores in the post-intervention test compared to the paraffin group (6.0 ± 2.1 vs. 4.7 ± 1.7, p < 0.001) and exhibited lower knowledge loss in the follow-up test (-1.2 ± 1.3 vs. -2.5 ± 1.7, p < 0.001). No significant difference was observed between groups in drawing-based performance (p = 0.183), although female students outperformed male students in practical drawing (p = 0.001). Qualitative findings from focus group interviews revealed that students valued JB4 sections for their clarity, visibility of details, and preservation of cellular structure, while preparation difficulty, excessive detail, and higher cost were noted as disadvantages. Overall, the results suggest that JB4 sections may improve both immediate and long-term learning outcomes compared to paraffin sections. Despite challenges related to preparation workload and cost, the use of JB4-derived digital materials represents a promising complementary approach to enhancing the quality and accessibility of histology education.