Study 3: Second Language Learning Role-Play: Effects of Patient and Doctor Roles on Motivation and Competence

It also explored whether playing the patient role adds educational value. • Design: Mixed-methods, one-group pretest–posttest design. • Participants: 15 third-year international medical students enrolled in a six-week Medical Dutch course. • Procedure: o Each session: 1.5 hours teaching + 0.5 hours peer role-play (doctor ↔ patient). o Over the course, each student acted six times as a doctor and six times as a patient. o Instruments:  Intrinsic Motivation to Experience Stimulation (IMES) scale.  Basic Psychological Need Satisfactionscale (relatedness, competence).  Peer-assessment checklist.  Final course grades.  Semi-structured interviews about patient role experiences . o Analysis: Wilcoxon signed-rank test (quantitative) and thematic analysis (qualitative).

Key Findings: 1. Quantitative results: o IMES increased significantly post-course (Z = –2.35, p = .02). o Relatedness also increased significantly (Z = –2.11, p = .03). o Competence confirmed by self-perception, peer checklist, and grades . 2. Qualitative themes (5): o Motivational experience – role-play created immersion and enjoyment. o Supportive peer interaction – collaboration and encouragement boosted learning. o Role-play setup – authenticity of scenarios enhanced realism and language application. o Learning value of playing the patient – students gained vocabulary, empathy, and communication strategies. o Novel patient perspective on the doctor’s role – acting as patients increased appreciation for clear, empathetic communication . 3.