STUDENTS' OPINIONS ON GAMIFICATION IN THE ENDODONTICS TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS

Abstract

Student engagement in teaching Dentistry still represents a challenge for traditional methodologies, especially in disciplines with technical and theoretical content, such as Endodontics. This research aimed to evaluate the perception of undergraduate students about the use of gamification as a teaching-learning strategy in Endodontics. This is a cross-sectional study, with a quantitative approach, developed at the School of Dentistry of Recife between February and June 2024. The sample consisted of 19 students in the fifth semester of the course, who voluntarily participated in gamified activities developed on the Wordwall and Genially platforms, with content related to endodontic practice. After playing the games, the participants answered a questionnaire with 18 items on a Likert scale. The results indicated high student satisfaction with the methodology: 100% reported an improvement in theoretical understanding, 94.8% stated that the games contributed to practical learning, and 89.5% highlighted the dynamic and interactive environment provided. The majority expressed motivation, confidence and interest in replicating the methodology in other curricular components. It is concluded that gamification, by integrating playful elements into the program content, constitutes an effective pedagogical tool, capable of promoting greater engagement, meaningful learning and motivation of students in the teaching of Endodontics, and can be applied broadly in the dental curriculum.