Investigation of the effect of flipped learning on neuroanatomy education in dentistry faculty students

Flipped learning is a learning model in which students are active and effective. This study is a quasi-experimental study conducted using a pretest-posttest-follow-up test design with experimental and control groups to evaluate the effect of flipped learning on the education of second-year dental students regarding the facial nerve in neuroanatomy. The study was conducted with 59 students in the experimental ( n = 28) and control ( n = 31) groups in the 2nd year of Giresun University Faculty of Dentistry. Data were collected using the “Student Demographic Characteristics Form”, “Facial Nerve Anatomy Knowledge Test”, and “Flipped Learning Feedback Form”. Students in the experimental group were trained using the flipped learning method prepared by the researchers. Students in the control group were trained using the traditional education method. Permission and ethical approval were obtained from the institution where the study was conducted (19.03.2025, no:2025/47). A statistically significant difference was found between the pretest, posttest, and follow-up test scores on the facial nerve anatomy knowledge test for students in the experimental group ( p = 0.000). A statistically significant difference was also found between the pretest, posttest, and follow-up test scores for students in the control group ( p = 0.022). However, no statistically significant difference was found between the experimental and control groups across all three tests ( p > 0.05). Students in the experimental group rated the benefits of the flipped learning method as beneficial, with a median value of 4 (3–4). In this study, both flipped learning and the traditional teaching method significantly improved students’ knowledge of facial nerve anatomy. However, no statistically significant difference was found between the groups. As a student-centered approach, flipped learning can serve as a complementary method to traditional anatomy education.