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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Med.

Sec. Healthcare Professions Education

Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1690297

Unlocking Expertise: The Application of Threshold Concepts in Scenario Simulations in Undergraduate Clinical Teaching

Provisionally accepted
Mian  PengMian Peng1*Dan  dan MaDan dan Ma1Ning  SuNing Su1Rui  HouRui Hou1Yanyan  WanYanyan Wan1Zhuoran  HeZhuoran He1Jinzhong  LanJinzhong Lan1Guizhen  XiaoGuizhen Xiao2
  • 1Third Affiliated Hospital, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
  • 2Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Background: Threshold concepts, as a transformative learning approach, are crucial for mastering new knowledge and skills. They help students change their understanding of subjects and promote the development of professional competencies. This study aims to identify and understand the key threshold concepts in undergraduate clinical medical education and to explore their effectiveness in scenario-based simulation teaching. Methods: Using a comparative experimental design, students were divided into two groups: one receiving threshold concept training and the other receiving traditional reinforcement training. The study combined scenario-based simulation, semi-structured interviews, and open-text surveys to assess student performance before and after training. Results: Students who received threshold concept training performed significantly better in tests than those in the traditional methods group. In Case 1, the threshold concept group scored 251(203,259), significantly higher than the traditional methods group's 201(181,249) (p < 0.05). In Case 2, the threshold concept group scored 245(236,251), significantly higher than the traditional methods group's 232(228,237) (p < 0.05). The results indicate that threshold concept training significantly improves student test scores, with statistically significant differences. Conclusion: This study identified key threshold concepts in undergraduate clinical education and validated their effectiveness in scenario-based simulation teaching. Threshold concepts not only guide the development of disease diagnosis and treatment skills but also provide new directions for teaching design and learning activities, facilitating the transition of medical students into competent doctors.

Keywords: Threshold concepts, Medical Education, scenario-based simulation, Clinical skills, Teaching strategies

Received: 22 Aug 2025; Accepted: 01 Oct 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Peng, Ma, Su, Hou, Wan, He, Lan and Xiao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Mian Peng, 18813641836@163.com

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.