In response to the problems such as low participation and insufficient practical training of students in traditional laboratory teaching, this study aims to explore the effectiveness and feasibility of the gamified incentive mechanism (GIM) in this field. 84 undergraduate students majoring in clinical medicine were randomly divided into the experimental group (n = 42) and the control group (n = 42). The control group received traditional conventional teaching, while the experimental group adopted the self-developed GIMM model (derived from the TPR model), and designed specific game incentive mechanisms, such as point systems, leaderboards, reward mechanisms, etc. The teaching content, time arrangement, and assessment criteria of both groups were kept consistent. The teaching effectiveness was evaluated through knowledge assessment, learning satisfaction survey, and teaching satisfaction survey. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 29.0. The results showed that the total knowledge score of experimental group achieved a significantly higher (85.31±8.81) than that in the control group (79.36 ± 6.47) (P < 0.05), with notable advantages in single-choice questions, specimen identification, and pathological section interpretation (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The experimental group also demonstrated higher satisfaction rates in learning interest (90.48%), classroom engagement (88.10%), and clinical thinking training (95.24%) (P < 0.05). The research conclusion indicates that integrating GIM into the teaching of pathology has significantly improved the teaching effectiveness and student satisfaction, addressing long-standing issues such as low participation and insufficient practical training. It has enhanced their academic performance and practical abilities. With the further popularization of digital technology in medical education, game-based teaching is expected to provide a highly promising improvement method for optimizing pathology education.
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