Application of Diverse Teaching Strategies in Aging Education Courses to Enhance Caregiving Competence

Abstract

Traditional aging education at our institution in Taiwan has primarily relied on lecture-based instruction, emphasizing teacher-centered knowledge transmission. Although effective in delivering foundational theories, this approach often overlooks active student engagement which is crucial for developing critical thinking, self-confidence, and problem-solving skills. These methods focus on transmitting theories and skills while often neglecting the cultivation of a willingness to serve older adults. This study investigates the impact of integrating diverse teaching strategies into aging education courses to enhance caregiving competence, defined as a multidimensional construct comprising critical thinking, self-confidence, problem-solving ability, and willingness to serve older adults. A quasi-experimental design was used for first-year students from the Department of Healthcare Administration at a university in Taiwan. Participants were divided into traditional (111th academic year) and diverse (112th academic year) teaching groups during gerontology courses. The traditional group employed lecture-based instruction focusing on knowledge transmission, whereas the diverse group utilized flipped teaching, case or story discussions, and expert lectures, emphasizing active learning, situated learning, and reflective practices based on constructivist learning theory. Data were collected via questionnaires at the semester’s start and end. The results showed significant improvements in critical thinking, self-confidence, problem-solving skills, and willingness to serve older adults within the diverse group (p < 0.05). However, no significant differences were found between the two groups in these measures. These findings indicate that while diverse teaching strategies effectively enhance caregiving competence, their outcomes are not significantly different from those of traditional methods.

1. Introduction

Taiwan became an aging society in 2018, defined by the international standard where an aging society is one in which at least 7% of the population is aged 65 or older. With the rapid aging of the population, Taiwan is projected to become a super-aged society by 2025, where over 20% of the population will be aged 65 or above (Hsu, 2019). As Taiwan’s aging population grows, the demand for care services will significantly increase within the next decade, requiring a well-trained workforce from current medical and long-term care programs. While Taiwan’s Ministry of Education has encouraged vocational schools and colleges to establish long-term care departments, merely equipping students with intellectual knowledge and practical skills has proven insufficient. The key challenge is how to prepare students to meet the demands of quality care services in aging societies (Schuring et al., 2009). Taiwan’s aging education system follows a multi-tier structure, including vocational schools that provide foundational caregiving training, colleges that offer specialized long-term care programs, and universities that focus on gerontology and healthcare administration. A detailed overview of these pathways is provided in Table S1.

To address these challenges, aging education courses traditionally adopt a structured approach encompassing three key domains: cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. While the cognitive and psychomotor domains can be effectively assessed, the affective domain—crucial for fostering empathy and willingness to serve older adults—is often overlooked (S.-F. Chen, 2020; Langer, 1999). Recent studies (An, 2023; Yoelin, 2022) have emphasized the need for experiential and technology-assisted learning in aging education, further supporting the integration of diverse teaching strategies to enhance student engagement and caregiving competence. This gap highlights the need for innovative teaching methods, such as flipped classrooms and role-playing activities, that prioritize emotional engagement and practical application in aging education. Conventional teaching strategies in aging education often combine teacher-centered lectures with community service-based learning (Lin et al., 2005). Initially, students engage in lectures, followed by activity-based, student-centered methods incorporating community-based interventions.

Despite their effectiveness in certain areas, traditional teaching strategies have limitations in fostering caregiving competence (Ahmady & Shahbazi, 2020). Traditional aging education in Taiwanese universities, including our institution, typically adopts lecture-based instruction grounded in teacher-centered pedagogy, prioritizing the structured transmission of theoretical knowledge, but it may lack sufficient opportunities for students to actively engage in reflective and experiential practices critical for caregiving roles. In contrast, the diverse teaching group utilized approaches based on constructivist learning theory, which posits that learning is the most effective when students actively participate in constructing their own knowledge through authentic experiences, reflective practices, and interactive dialog. Such approaches are essential for cultivating a deeper understanding and enhancing caregiving competence (Ahmady & Shahbazi, 2020; Ho, 2017). For instance, classroom lectures, while effective in transmitting theoretical knowledge, rarely provide opportunities for students to engage in hands-on activities or develop emotional connections with older adults. Additionally, the lack of interactive and experiential learning further limits students’ ability to apply their knowledge in dynamic care scenarios. Caregiving competence is defined in this study as a multidimensional construct consisting of critical thinking, self-confidence, problem-solving abilities, and willingness to serve older adults (Ho, 2017). These components collectively represent essential cognitive, affective, and behavioral competencies necessary for effective caregiving in geriatric settings (Ho, 2017; Hsieh & Yang, 2009; Huang et al., 2008; Liu, 2020; Yeh, 1999). Critical thinking enables caregivers to analyze complex patient needs, make informed decisions, and adapt to evolving care situations (Yeh, 1999). Self-confidence is essential for building trust with care recipients and effectively executing care plans (Huang et al., 2008). Problem-solving abilities allow students to navigate unexpected challenges in elderly care, improving their adaptability in real-world care settings (Liu, 2020). Lastly, a willingness to serve older adults fosters emotional engagement and promotes compassionate, patient-centered care (Hsieh & Yang, 2009). These competencies are critical for equipping students to meet the complex and dynamic needs of older adults in real-world care settings. However, traditional strategies often fail to cultivate these essential competencies, leaving students underprepared for real-world challenges (Yiu, 2019). To address these limitations, innovative teaching strategies have been explored to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical caregiving skills.

Common teaching strategies in aging education include lecturing, flipped teaching, role play, case or story discussions, problem-oriented teaching, team teaching, student presentations, and service-learning. Previous studies have reported positive outcomes from employing diverse teaching strategies in courses related to aging, ethics, and care services. For example, S.-F. Chen (2020) integrated team teaching, group discussions, and community-based interventions into an 18-week aging education course, which significantly enhanced students’ knowledge and caregiving skills. Similarly, You and Cheng (2018) incorporated flipped teaching, expert lectures, and creative assignments in a healthcare ethics course, effectively promoting students’ active learning. C.-H. Chen et al. (2010) used a combination of lectures, role play, and experiential learning activities in a bioethics course, improving students’ understanding of ethical concepts. Although these studies demonstrated the benefits of diverse teaching strategies, empirical evidence remains limited, restricting broader applicability.

The effectiveness of traditional teaching strategies in fostering caregiving competence—critical thinking skills, self-confidence, and problem-solving abilities—remains inconclusive. While traditional methods emphasize theoretical knowledge and practical skills, they often fail to address the cultivation of empathy and a willingness to serve older adults. Many scholars advocate for integrating innovative approaches, such as role play (Tung & Chang, 2017), experiential learning activities (Tseng et al., 2008), and service-learning (Hou, 2017), into aging education courses to bridge these gaps and promote caregiving competence. Thus, this study aims to address these gaps by achieving two objectives:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of integrating diverse teaching strategies in aging education courses for enhancing caregiving competence, including critical thinking, self-confidence, problem-solving abilities, and a willingness to serve older adults.
• To compare the impact of diverse versus traditional teaching strategies in improving caregiving competence within the context of aging education.

This study not only provides empirical insights into the effectiveness of diverse teaching strategies but also highlights their potential to reshape aging education by equipping students with essential caregiving competencies. By integrating methods such as flipped classrooms, case discussions, and expert lectures, students gain more practical experience, develop critical thinking, enhance problem-solving skills, and build confidence in serving older adults. These improvements contribute to a workforce that is better prepared to address the complex and evolving needs of an aging society.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Research Framework and Design

A quasi-experimental research design was adopted, and purposive sampling was used with the participants being first-year undergraduate (university-level) students of gerontology courses. This study was conducted during 18-week courses in two different academic years. Traditional and diverse teaching strategies were adopted in the academic years 2022 and 2023, respectively. Table S2 presents the teaching content and strategies of each individual week and the evaluation methods employed in this study. Figure 1 presents the study design and teaching methods, illustrating the two delivery modes and their impact on caregiving competence. It also considers the distinct roles of teachers and students in each method, highlighting how instructional strategies influence learning outcomes. Both traditional and diverse teaching methods followed a consistent two-hour weekly format. Traditional lectures maintained a lecture-based approach, while diverse methods incorporated pre-class video learning, in-class discussions, and student-led activities. The total instructional hours were identical across both groups.

• The traditional teaching group: From Week 3 to 7 and from Week 10 to 13, classroom lectures were employed for instruction.
• The diverse teaching group: From Week 3 to 7 and from Week 10 to 12, flipped teaching and case or story discussion were adopted. Students watched teaching videos before class. After taking pre-class quizzes, teachers and students in the class raised cases that may occur during their services or learning activities in long-term care homes for group discussion. In Week 13, expert lectures were conducted.

In nine weeks (Weeks 1, 2, 8, 9, and 14–18), identical teaching strategies were adopted in both groups. The traditional and diverse teaching strategies involved in this study are summarized in

Table 1. The traditional and diverse teaching strategies involved in this study.

The Traditional Teaching Group	The Diverse Teaching Group
Lecturing	Lecturing
Service-learning	Service-learning
Student presentations	Student presentations
	Role play
	Flipped teaching
	Case or story discussion
	Expert lectures

. The pretest and post-test were conducted in Weeks 2 and 18, respectively. The evaluations included basic information; scales for critical thinking disposition, self-confidence, problem-solving ability, and willingness to work with older adults; and qualitative feedback.

2.2. Participants

The participants of this study were first-year students of the Department of Healthcare Administration at a university in central Taiwan. This study was conducted during the gerontology courses of the academic years of 2022 and 2023. Both the traditional and diverse teaching groups covered identical core course content, ensuring that students received the same theoretical foundation. However, the diverse teaching group employed flipped learning, case discussions, and expert lectures to enhance engagement and caregiving competence by fostering critical thinking, self-confidence, problem-solving abilities, and a willingness to serve older adults. These diverse teaching strategies were selected based on prior research in aging education (S.-F. Chen, 2020; You & Cheng, 2018), which demonstrated their effectiveness in improving student learning outcomes.

An introduction to the courses was provided in the first lesson to explain the teaching strategies, and students were allowed to participate in this study voluntarily. The courses were conducted in a classroom that generally accommodated 50 individuals. In the academic year of 2022, 37 participants were involved in this study (39 students were initially considered, of which 2 opted out of the course due to personal reasons during the midterm). In the academic year of 2023, 34 participants were involved in this study (38 students were initially considered, of which 4 opted out of the course during the midterm). All the participants completed the 18-week courses. This study passed the review of the Research Ethics Committee of the China Medical University Hospital (CRREC—112—073).

2.3. Research Tools

The questionnaire had six sections. Section One collected basic demographic information, including age, gender, and the GPA of the previous academic year. Section Two used a critical thinking disposition scale designed by Yeh (1999) to evaluate critical thinking abilities. This scale comprises 20 items covering four dimensions: (1) systematic thinking and analysis skills; (2) openness and empathy; (3) intellectual curiosity; and (4) entirety and introspection. All items were rated on a 6-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (never) to 6 (always), with higher scores representing higher frequencies of critical thinking. This critical thinking disposition scale has good reliability and validity with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.88 (Yeh, 1999).

Section Three used a self-confidence scale to evaluate the self-confidence levels of students when they provided care services. It was adapted from the self-confidence scale designed by (Huang et al., 2008), which has a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.88. “Nursing skills” in the original scale was replaced with “providing care services”. This scale comprised seven items. All items were rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with higher scores representing higher levels of confidence.

Section Four used a problem-solving ability scale designed by Liu (2020) to measure students’ problem-solving abilities after the alternative instructional approach of the courses. All items were rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with higher scores representing greater problem-solving abilities. This scale has good reliability and validity with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.90 (Liu, 2020).

Section Five used a willingness to serve older adults scale designed by Hsieh and Yang (2009) to evaluate students’ willingness to serve older adults after the alternative instructional approach. The scale, which comprised 16 items with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.941, evaluated students’ understanding of older adults’ needs for assistance and their willingness to provide professional services (Hsieh & Yang, 2009). All items were rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with higher scores representing higher levels of willingness to serve older adults.

Section Six, which involved qualitative feedback, was used for understanding students’ learning experience and effectiveness. Three open-ended questions were designed with reference to a previous study (Chiu, 2010), including “What differences have you found in the way of teaching (diverse teaching strategies) between this course and other courses?”, “Do you like the teaching methods used in this course (diverse teaching strategies)? Why or why not?”, and “What do you think you have learned during the 18-week course?” The students’ feedback provided a reference for evaluating the effectiveness of diverse teaching strategies.

2.4. Data Processing and Analysis

This study used SPSS Statistics 22.0 for statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics were adopted to present basic information and the scores of the critical thinking disposition, self-confidence, problem-solving ability, and the willingness to serve older adults scales. Fisher’s exact test and an independent sample t-test were conducted to examine whether there were any significant differences between the basic information of the two groups. Subsequently, a Wilcoxon signed-rank test was adopted to examine the effectiveness of integrating diverse teaching strategies with aging education courses to enhance critical thinking, self-confidence, problem-solving abilities, and willingness to serve older adults within the diverse teaching group. Finally, a Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to analyze whether any significant differences were present in the changes with the pretest and post-test scores (the post-test score minus the pretest score) of the aforementioned four scales to investigate the differences between traditional and diverse teaching strategies in enhancing caregiving competence through aging education courses.

For the qualitative feedback analysis, we employed thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s (Braun & Clarke, 2006) framework. Responses from the three open-ended questions were systematically coded and categorized into key themes related to caregiving competence, such as critical thinking, self-confidence, problem-solving, and willingness to serve older adults. To ensure analytical reliability, coding was independently reviewed by two researchers, and discrepancies were resolved through discussion.

3. Results

This study involved 71 participants, including 37 participants from the academic year 2022 (the traditional teaching group) and 34 from the academic year 2023 (the diverse teaching group). Most participants were women, and the average age of the participants was about 19 years. Basic information about the participants is presented in

Table 2. Basic information about the participants.

		The Traditional Teaching Group	The Diverse Teaching Group	p-Value
Gender				0.62 a
	Male	13	10
	Female	24	24
	Total	37	34
Age
	Average (standard deviation)	19.60 (0.62)	19.41 (0.61)	0.22 b
GPA of the previous academic year				0.74 a
	100–90 points	2	0
	89–80 points	21	20
	79–70 points	12	12
	69 points or below	2	2

Note. ^a Fisher’s exact test; ^b independent sample t-test.

. Fisher’s exact test and the independent sample t-test found no significant differences between the basic demographic information of the two groups, and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test also identified no significant differences between the two groups in the pretests of the four scales.

3.1. Changes in the Pretest and Post-Test Scores in Critical Thinking, Self-Confidence, Problem-Solving Abilities, and the Willingness to Serve Older Adults

The differences between the pretest and post-test scores within each of the traditional and diverse teaching groups in the four scales are presented in

Table 3. An examination of the differences between the pretest and post-test scores of the four scales within the traditional teaching group and the diverse teaching group.

	The Traditional Teaching Group		p-Value	The Diverse Teaching Group		p-Value
	Median (Quartile)	Median (Quartile)		Median (Quartile)	Median (Quartile)
The critical thinking disposition scale	94.00 (87.50, 101.50)	98.00 (93.50, 101.50)	0.09	91.00 (88.75, 100.00)	99.00 (90.50, 109.75)	0.01 *
The self-confidence scale	27.00 (23.00, 29.00)	28.00 (24.00, 32.00)	0.10	28.00 (24.25, 31.25)	29.00 (25.75, 32.75)	0.03 *
The problem-solving ability scale	20.00 (19.00, 22.50)	21.00 (20.00, 24.00)	0.48	20.00 (20.00, 23.50)	23.00 (20.00, 25.00)	<0.01 *
The willingness to serve older adults scale	60.00 (55.00, 66.00)	60.00 (55.00, 69.50)	0.08	64.00 (58.75, 72.25)	66.00 (61.75, 80.00)	<0.01 *

Note. p-value: Wilcoxon signed-rank test; * p < 0.05.

. The results of the Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicate significant differences between the pretest and post-test scores of the four scales within the diverse teaching group, with p < 0.05. Thus, significant improvements were made in the frequencies of critical thinking, self-confidence levels, problem-solving abilities, and the willingness to serve older adults. Contrarily, for the traditional teaching group, no significant differences were found between the pretest and post-test scores of the four scales.

3.2. Differences Between the Two Groups in the Changes in the Pretest and Post-Test Scores in Critical Thinking, Self-Confidence, Problem-Solving Abilities, and the Willingness to Serve Older Adults

Differences between the two groups in the changes in the scores of the four scales are presented in

Table 4. Differences between the traditional and diverse teaching groups in the changes in the scores of the four scales.

	The Traditional Teaching Group		The Diverse Teaching Group		Z	p-Value
	Median	Quartile	Median	Quartile
The critical thinking disposition scale	1.00	−4.00, 9.50	5.00	−1.25, 9.25	−0.74	0.46
The self-confidence scale	1.00	−2.00, 4.00	1.00	0.00, 4.00	−0.30	0.76
The problem-solving ability scale	1.00	−3.00, 3.00	0.00	0.00, 2.25	−0.40	0.69
The willingness to serve older adults scale	2.00	−3.00, 9.00	2.00	−0.50, 5.25	−0.49	0.63

p-value: Wilcoxon rank-sum test.

. The results of the Wilcoxon rank-sum test indicate no significant differences between the two groups in the changes in the scores of the four scales. Thus, no significant differences were identified between the two groups in terms of the improvements in critical thinking frequencies, self-confidence levels, problem-solving abilities, and the willingness to serve older adults.

3.3. End-of-Term Qualitative Feedback

“What Differences Have You Found in the Way of Teaching (Diverse Teaching Strategies) Between This Course and Other Courses?”

The answers of the participants were summarized into three key themes arising from the qualitative analysis.

Theme 1: Structured opportunities to develop caregiving competencies (24 participants).

“I acquired varied experiences from leading activities and talking with older adults at communities. The difference from other courses is that this course actually brought us into communities.”

“The teachers applied different testing methods, which allowed us to practice more on content related to activities about aging. Other students could also gain different experiences by leading activities on site.”

Theme 2: Increased interaction and deeper engagement. Students expressed that diverse teaching strategies made the course more interactive and engaging compared with other courses.

“Compared with other courses, this course was more interactive, requiring us to think critically and actively engage with real-world aging issues.”

“Not rigid. Fun. Moreover, it can enhance mutual understanding between peers.”

Theme 3: Strengthened essential caregiving abilities. Participants indicated improvements in leadership, crisis management, and adaptability.

“In the first nine weeks, we acquired much professional knowledge with which we could better apply our expertise to arrange, design, and plan activities when leading one.”

“Activity leading could improve my leadership skills and my ability to address current problems.”

“I have learned the ability to react spontaneously and handle crises, which is not taught in other courses.”

“Do You Like the Teaching Methods of This Course (Diverse Teaching Strategies)? Why or Why Not?”

A review of the questionnaires submitted by the participants indicated that most participants (32) liked the course.

“We could visit communities, design activities from scratch by ourselves, and apply what we have learned in class to our lives.”

“We found many problems and challenges that we would not come across when learning theories. We could understand the improvements to be made only after contemplation on these issues.”

“It was a cool experience to apply textbook knowledge to real-life issues.”

“What Do You Believe You Have Learned During the 18-Week Course?”

The students’ feedback was summarized in terms of the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains. The feedback of an individual student can be categorized into multiple domains rather than just one. Overall, students gained the most in the cognitive domain (30 students), followed by the psychomotor domain (29 students) and the affective domain (8 students).

In the cognitive domain, 30 students reported that they had learned theories and concepts about health promotion activities and the essentials of activity leading and that their critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities were also improved. In the psychomotor domain, 29 students stated that they could confidently apply health promotion skills in long-term care homes and with older adults, as well as lead activities. In the affective domain, eight students said that they gradually became concerned with social issues about older adults. According to these students, the course had fostered their willingness to serve older adults with an enhanced positive attitude. For instance, the following observations were collected:

“I know better about what sports or rehabilitation activities can be conducted for older adults and patients with different diseases. In the future, if any older family members need these activities, such knowledge will be useful.”

(Cognitive and affective domains).

“I learned about many diseases related to aging. I may have met many patients with dementia in the past, however, I found their movements weird. After learning about their symptoms, I realize that it is very tough for them.”

(Cognitive and affective domains).

“My activity facilitating skills and the ability to control an activity while leading one are improved, and I am less intimidated when being with an older adult.”

(Psychomotor and affective domains).

“The course has helped me better understand the challenges against people with mobility difficulties. Moreover, I have learned more about diseases and sports, which will allow me to think more comprehensively when arranging activities in the future.”

(Cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains).

4. Discussion

This study found that the integration of diverse teaching strategies with aging education courses was significantly effective, with an evident improvement in critical thinking, self-confidence, problem-solving abilities, and the willingness to serve older adults. However, a comparison between the effectiveness of using traditional and diverse teaching strategies to improve caregiving competence identified no significant differences in enhancing critical thinking, confidence, problem-solving abilities, and the willingness to serve older adults.

4.1. Changes in Critical Thinking, Confidence, Problem-Solving Abilities, and the Willingness to Serve Older Adults

The results of this study demonstrated a notable improvement in critical thinking, self-confidence, problem-solving abilities, and the willingness to serve older adults within the diverse teaching group. With respect to critical thinking, diverse teaching strategies, grounded in constructivist learning theory, allowed students to actively participate in class through flipped teaching, real-life case analyses, and expert interactions. These strategies provided richer opportunities for students to critically engage with practical scenarios, which aligns with active and situated learning frameworks. This is likely because diverse teaching strategies provide more stimulation for thinking, allowing students to apply the knowledge they have learned into real-life situations, facilitating the development of critical thinking abilities (Ahmady & Shahbazi, 2020). Flipped teaching is a teaching methodology where students are required to learn basic knowledge outside of class before having an in-depth discussion and applying the knowledge in class. This method can improve students’ motivation for active learning, thus strengthening their critical thinking abilities (Doung-In, 2017). Case discussion encourages students to contemplate various aspects of a problem by analyzing and discussing real-life situations, which is helpful to foster critical thinking (Kim et al., 2006). Expert lectures provide the latest workplace knowledge and experience so that students can learn about the most updated news in the industry and become inspired to think in a critical way (Shulman, 2006).

Diverse teaching strategies are evidently effective in improving students’ self-confidence in providing care services. This may be because diverse teaching strategies allow students to accumulate experience and confidence through practice, a process that improves their self-efficacy (Bandura et al., 1999). Flipped teaching provides students more time for practice in class, thus making them more confident (Doung-In, 2017). By simulating real-life situations, role play allows students to practice in a safe environment. This process helps to boost their confidence when they are addressing real-life challenges (Cherney, 2008). Service-learning engages students in community services, enabling them to verify the knowledge that they have learned through practice, thereby enhancing their self-efficacy and self-confidence (Jones, 2001).

Diverse teaching strategies played an important role in improving students’ problem-solving abilities as they allow students to apply their learning to real-life situations, thereby improving their problem-solving abilities (Hmelo-Silver, 2004). Diverse teaching strategies are highly effective in enhancing students’ willingness to serve older adults as they foster positive emotions and a sense of responsibility in students during their interaction with older adults so that they become more willing to serve (Jones, 2001). By simulating real-life situations, role play allows students to experience the lives of older adults, arousing more empathy for older adults and fostering a higher willingness to serve them (Cherney, 2008). Through service-learning, the students directly participated in community services and interacted with older adults. They were able to experience the value and significance of services during interactions, thus becoming more willing to serve older adults (Billig, 2000).

4.2. Differences Between Diverse and Traditional Teaching Strategies in the Effectiveness of Enhancing Caregiving Competence

This study found no significant differences between the diverse and traditional teaching groups in the effectiveness of improving caregiving competence. This outcome may be because of several reasons. First, it is possible that traditional teaching strategies are fairly effective. The traditional method of lecturing remains effective in teaching knowledge and skills, particularly for knowledge-intensive courses where lectures can be used to teach important knowledge and concepts systematically (Prince, 2004). Thus, in some situations, traditional teaching strategies can improve students’ caregiving competence effectively. In addition, the individual differences among students may influence the effects of teaching strategies. Different students may accept and respond to different teaching methods, including diverse and traditional teaching strategies, in a distinctive way. Some students may learn better with the traditional lecturing method, while others may prefer diverse teaching strategies (Felder & Brent, 2005).

In addition, the implementation of a teaching strategy and the abilities of a teacher may affect the research results. Despite the theoretical advantages of diverse teaching strategies, the effectiveness of such strategies may be reduced if teachers lack relevant experience or resources in the teaching process. Similarly, traditional teaching strategies can have better effects if implemented by experienced teachers (Higgins & Simpson, 2011). Furthermore, the research design and sample size may influence the research results. The sample size of this study was limited, and the research duration was fairly short, which may be insufficient to observe differences between the teaching strategies. We suggest expanding the sample size and prolonging the research duration to obtain more representative results.

4.3. End-of-Term Qualitative Feedback

Diverse teaching strategies emphasize practical work and scenario simulation. Such a design allows students to apply their knowledge to real-life situations while making learning a more interesting and effective process. Practice-oriented content, such as role play and community services, allows students to learn from practice, improving their leadership skills and crisis-handling abilities. Most participants like diverse teaching strategies because these strategies enable them to learn with more interaction and active participation. Flipped teaching and case discussion provide students more time for discussion in class. These methods increase student interaction with their peers and teachers, so they become more interested in learning and achieve greater satisfaction from the learning process (Doung-In, 2017). In addition, expert lectures and service-learning provide abundant practical experience, allowing students to translate theoretical knowledge into practice (Jones, 2001).

Furthermore, diverse teaching strategies cover a wide range of teaching methods, such as flipped teaching, case discussion, role play, and service-learning. These methods help to improve students’ competence in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains. Improvements in the cognitive domain emerge from theoretical learning and case analysis in class. These methods can promote students’ comprehension of knowledge and improve their critical thinking (Hmelo-Silver, 2004). Improvements in the psychomotor domain are achieved through role-play activities, where students can apply the acquired knowledge into specific situations, thus improving their clinical abilities and self-confidence (Cherney, 2008). Progress in the affective domain primarily arises from service-learning and interactions with older adults. These activities can arouse students’ empathy and enhance their willingness to serve (Billig, 2000).

4.4. Research Limitations

This study has some limitations. First, the sample size was limited, and the samples were all students from a certain department of a certain university, which may affect the generalizability of the results. Additionally, this study adopted a quasi-experimental design and could not control all latent variables, such as individual traits and external learning experience. These factors may have influenced the results. Future studies should consider expanding the sample size with long-term follow-ups. More comprehensive measurement tools should also be adopted to enhance the external validity of the research results.

5. Conclusions

This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence indicating that diverse teaching strategies, such as flipped teaching, case discussions, and expert lectures, are effective in significantly improving students’ caregiving competencies (critical thinking, self-confidence, problem-solving abilities, and willingness to serve older adults) within the diverse teaching group. However, given the absence of statistically significant differences between diverse and traditional teaching groups, the findings also suggest that both approaches have their merits in preparing students for caregiving roles. Although previous studies (S.-F. Chen, 2020; You & Cheng, 2018) have explored individual teaching methods, our study uniquely compares traditional and diverse approaches within the same educational context. These insights emphasize the importance of experiential learning and interdisciplinary collaboration in aging education (S.-F. Chen, 2020; Hou, 2017; You & Cheng, 2018), highlighting the need for further research to better understand under what conditions diverse teaching strategies may provide additional educational benefits compared to traditional methods.