Abstract
PURPOSE: Physical diagnosis is a bridging course that connects basic medicine and clinical medicine. This article took cardiac physical examination as an example, based on the student-centered BOPPPS(the bridge-in, objective, preassessment, participatory learning, post-assessment, and summary)model teaching, using imported CBL model (Case-Based Learning) and combined with scenario simulation to fully integrate students into the classroom, enhancing the mastery of theoretical knowledge and the ability to apply it in practice. METHOD: The study focused on undergraduate students majoring in clinical medicine from the 2022 cohort of our university. The control group consisted of 38 students who received traditional teaching methods, while the experimental group consisted of 38 students who received blended learning using the BOPPPS model and scenario simulation method. They were evaluated by formative assessment (35%), summative assessment (65%), and overall score. Teaching satisfaction were assessed the form of a questionnaire survey. RESULTS: The assessments showed that the experimental group scored higher than the control group in the summative assessment and overall score (76.68 ± 11.20 vs 69.25 ± 10.97 and 76.46 ± 8.95 vs 70.62 ± 8.80), and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The results of the teaching satisfaction questionnaire survey indicated that the experimental group scored higher than the control group in terms of teachers' teaching attitude, teaching ability, teaching content, teaching methods, and teaching effectiveness, and all had statistical differences (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in scores between the two groups in formative assessment. CONCLUSIONS: The BOPPPS teaching model, when integrated with case-based learning and scenario simulation in physical diagnostics instruction, was associated with higher summative and total scores as well as greater student satisfaction compared to traditional instruction. Although no significant difference was observed in formative assessment performance between groups, the approach may help support student engagement and self-directed learning ability. Overall, participants reported higher satisfaction with this teaching model. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-08244-x.