Visual worksheets as a tool to improve study behaviors and academic performance in dental anatomy education

Aims: This study aimed to examine the effect of visual worksheets on students’ short-term learning outcomes and study behaviors in anatomy education. Methods: The study was conducted with 96 first-year students at the faculty of dentistry. After theoretical and laboratory instruction on the anatomy of neck muscles and triangles, students completed structured visual worksheets. Data collection tools included a pre-test, post-test, the Study Behavior Scale (SBS), a demographic form, and a post-intervention feedback questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank, Mann-Whitney U, and Spearman correlation tests. Results: After the visual worksheet intervention, students’ academic performance significantly improved (pre-test X=4.95; post test X=23.54; z=-8.52, p< 0.001). Students who studied before class scored significantly higher in the SBS subscales of "Initiation and Persistence," "Conscious Study," and "Exam Preparation" (p