there is much scope for explorative learning and longterm memory in active teaching process

background: introducing rctm (research-centered teaching method) by the author, showed the method provokes enthusiasm and anxiety, correlated with cognition. by linking the broaden-and-build theory and emotional intelligence theory, it becomes apparent that the knowledge and use of positive emotions constitute an important skill set for effective functioning. purpose: to investigate the effects of provoked students motivations on their learning and recall was the purpose of this study. methods: renal physiology was actively taught to 70 medical students, instructed to answer thoughtful questions asked by the lecturer and other students in class. it was emphasized that participation in the acid-base balance session is of great importance, due to the complexity and its management. reinforcing them by few grades and assuring them to be skillful physicians when they face such problems in future. before the midterm exam, a questionnaire was distributed, asking to write down the topic they recall most precisely, and choosing the reasons. the final exam was held one month later. results: acid-base balance was the mentioned topic, and teaching method was the most correlated factor among the reasons of their recollection (r 0.773). the grade for ‘ students’ questions” was the highest among the questions categories. in the final exam the grades of acid-base balance questions were raised significantly (p 0.015). conclusions: the improvement of students academic achievements were possibly due to the context of reinforcing their positive emotions in class.