Research Article

DOI :10.26650/eor.20251619290 IUP :10.26650/eor.20251619290 Full Text (PDF)

A quasi-experimental study comparing the effectiveness of lecture-based and drama teaching methods on oral health outcomes in students with intellectual disabilities

Reza Emrani, Mahnaz Pouresmaeil, Zahra Rahimi Khalifehkandi

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based program designed for children with mental disabilities by assessing oral health outcomes after training via two educational methods: lectures and dramas.

Materials and methods: 144 male students with mental disabilities from a special needs school in Qazvin, Iran, were selected as a census sample in 2023. The students were randomly divided into two groups, each consisting of 72 participants aged 10–14 years. Group 1 received oral health counseling via the lecture method, whereas Group 2 was instructed via the drama method. Data were collected via a socio-demographic checklist, and oral health was assessed via the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index for caries status and the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) of Greene and Vermillion for oral hygiene. Assessments were conducted before and four weeks after the intervention. Data analysis was performed via descriptive statistics, t tests, and ANOVA via SPSS software.

Results: A statistically significant improvement in plaque scores was observed in the Drama group compared with the Lecture group after the intervention (p < 0.05). The mean tooth filling index (F index) also increased significantly in both groups post intervention, with greater improvement noted in the Drama group. While oral health indices improved in both groups, the extent of improvement was significantly greater in the Drama group.

Conclusion: The drama method used in this study was more effective than the lecture method in improving participants' oral and dental health indices. As a simple and cost-effective approach, drama enables teachers to convey essential health information more effectively.

Keywords: Drama method, lecture method, oral health education, mentally disabled students

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APA

Emrani, R., Pouresmaeil, M., & Khalifehkandi, Z.R. (2019). A quasi-experimental study comparing the effectiveness of lecture-based and drama teaching methods on oral health outcomes in students with intellectual disabilities. European Oral Research, 0(0), -. https://doi.org/10.26650/eor.20251619290

AMA

Emrani R, Pouresmaeil M, Khalifehkandi Z R. A quasi-experimental study comparing the effectiveness of lecture-based and drama teaching methods on oral health outcomes in students with intellectual disabilities. European Oral Research. 2019;0(0):-. https://doi.org/10.26650/eor.20251619290

ABNT

Emrani, R.; Pouresmaeil, M.; Khalifehkandi, Z.R. A quasi-experimental study comparing the effectiveness of lecture-based and drama teaching methods on oral health outcomes in students with intellectual disabilities. European Oral Research, [Publisher Location], v. 0, n. 0, p. -, 2019.

Chicago: Author-Date Style

Emrani, Reza, and Mahnaz Pouresmaeil and Zahra Rahimi Khalifehkandi. 2019. “A quasi-experimental study comparing the effectiveness of lecture-based and drama teaching methods on oral health outcomes in students with intellectual disabilities.” European Oral Research 0, no. 0: -. https://doi.org/10.26650/eor.20251619290

Chicago: Humanities Style

Emrani, Reza, and Mahnaz Pouresmaeil and Zahra Rahimi Khalifehkandi. “A quasi-experimental study comparing the effectiveness of lecture-based and drama teaching methods on oral health outcomes in students with intellectual disabilities.” European Oral Research 0, no. 0 (Oct. 2025): -. https://doi.org/10.26650/eor.20251619290

Harvard: Australian Style

Emrani, R & Pouresmaeil, M & Khalifehkandi, ZR 2019, 'A quasi-experimental study comparing the effectiveness of lecture-based and drama teaching methods on oral health outcomes in students with intellectual disabilities', European Oral Research, vol. 0, no. 0, pp. -, viewed 1 Oct. 2025, https://doi.org/10.26650/eor.20251619290

Harvard: Author-Date Style

Emrani, R. and Pouresmaeil, M. and Khalifehkandi, Z.R. (2019) ‘A quasi-experimental study comparing the effectiveness of lecture-based and drama teaching methods on oral health outcomes in students with intellectual disabilities’, European Oral Research, 0(0), pp. -. https://doi.org/10.26650/eor.20251619290 (1 Oct. 2025).

MLA

Emrani, Reza, and Mahnaz Pouresmaeil and Zahra Rahimi Khalifehkandi. “A quasi-experimental study comparing the effectiveness of lecture-based and drama teaching methods on oral health outcomes in students with intellectual disabilities.” European Oral Research, vol. 0, no. 0, 2019, pp. -. [Database Container], https://doi.org/10.26650/eor.20251619290

Vancouver

Emrani R, Pouresmaeil M, Khalifehkandi ZR. A quasi-experimental study comparing the effectiveness of lecture-based and drama teaching methods on oral health outcomes in students with intellectual disabilities. European Oral Research [Internet]. 1 Oct. 2025 [cited 1 Oct. 2025];0(0):-. Available from: https://doi.org/10.26650/eor.20251619290 doi: 10.26650/eor.20251619290

ISNAD

Emrani, Reza - Pouresmaeil, Mahnaz - Khalifehkandi, ZahraRahimi. “A quasi-experimental study comparing the effectiveness of lecture-based and drama teaching methods on oral health outcomes in students with intellectual disabilities”. European Oral Research 0/0 (Oct. 2025): -. https://doi.org/10.26650/eor.20251619290

TIMELINE

Submitted	18.01.2025
Accepted	14.04.2025
Published Online	29.09.2025

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