BOPPPS-driven learning plan guidance in preventive medicine laboratory education: Implementation strategy and multidimensional outcomes

Abstract Background Conventional preventive medicine laboratory training often overemphasizes procedural replication, leaving analytical reasoning and emergency response skills underdeveloped. To address this, a BOPPPS strategy (bridge-in, objective, pre-assessment, participatory learning, post-assessment, summary) was implemented via learning plan guidance. This cluster randomized controlled trial study evaluated its dual impact on learner capability and instructional quality. Methods Participants included undergraduates enrolled in 2022 from Binzhou Medical University’s Clinical Medicine and Medical Imaging programs, divided into an intervention group receiving BOPPPS-driven learning plan guidance and a control group receiving traditional instruction. Multidimensional assessments combined laboratory performance with validated instruments: the Schommer Epistemological Questionnaire (SEQ), Opinions about Learning Survey (OLS), Motivated Learning Strategies Questionnaire (MLSQ), and Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES). Structural equation modeling analyzed relationships among epistemological beliefs, learning perspectives, and strategies. Results The intervention group achieved significantly higher total lab scores than controls. SEQ results showed superior scores in knowledge stability, structure, and authority. OLS indicated stronger preference for structure and certainty. MLSQ revealed higher deep-learning strategy scores. Structural modeling identified positive links between epistemological beliefs, learning perspectives, and surface strategies; knowledge stability and preference for structure positively correlated with deep strategies, while omniscient authority and preference for certainty showed negative correlations. TSES scores reflected high educator efficacy in student management, teaching strategies and classroom management. Conclusion The BOPPPS-driven learning plan guidance significantly enhanced experimental performance and cultivated self-regulated learning, innovation, and critical thinking. Simultaneously, they improved instructional efficiency and effectiveness, offering a replicable model for competency-based training in preventive medicine education.