Development Strategies in Medical Education

Mendeley  

Zotero  

Jouyban M, Dizaji Asl K, Sharbati M, Bari A. The effectiveness of Team-Based Learning (TBL) on academic self-efficacy and emotional intelligence among medical students. DSME 2026; 13 (1) :83-98
URL: http://dsme.hums.ac.ir/article-1-562-en.html

Introduction: Traditional approaches to medical education have limitations in fostering students’ non-cognitive skills. Team-Based Learning (TBL), as an active and interactive educational approach, may contribute not only to cognitive learning but also to students’ psychological outcomes. This study aimed to examine the effect of TBL on academic self-efficacy and emotional intelligence among medical students.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study used a pretest–posttest design with a control group and was conducted during the 2025–2026 academic year among medical students at the Islamic Azad University, Tabriz Medical Sciences. Two existing classes were selected by convenience sampling and allocated at the class level to either the TBL intervention or lecture-based control group. The intervention group received eight 90-minute TBL sessions, while the control group received lecture-based instruction. Of 87 eligible students, data from 80 participants (40 in each group) were included in the final analysis. Data were collected using the College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES) and the Bradberry and Greaves Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare posttest scores between the groups while controlling for baseline scores.
Results:  After adjustment for pretest scores, significant between-group differences were observed in posttest emotional intelligence (F=55.63, P<0.001, partial η²=0.419) and academic self-efficacy (F=25.47, P<0.001, partial η²=0.249), with higher adjusted scores in the TBL group. The observed effect size was larger for emotional intelligence than for academic self-efficacy.
Discussion: In this study, TBL was associated with higher emotional intelligence and academic self-efficacy scores compared with lecture-based instruction. These findings suggest that TBL may be considered as an active, complementary educational approach in the basic medical sciences curriculum. Given the class-level allocation and the inclusion of only one class per study arm, the findings should be interpreted and generalized with caution.