Perceptions of dental students towards abrupt curriculum changes: a qualitative study

Abstract

Background Any abrupt changes in the educational system can have a negative effect on students. Dental students at X University faced two abrupt changes in the undergraduate curriculum over a two-year period, namely the COVID-19 pandemic and the national shift to the three-term system. This research aims to investigate the effect of these changes on dental students. Methods Semi-structured interviews were carried out with ten fifth-year students, who were asked about their perception of the curriculum changes and their thoughts and adaptation strategies. Results The results showed that high levels of stress and impaired academic achievements were associated with sudden changes in curriculum. The students perceived the national transition in the curriculum negatively and worse than what they experienced during the pandemic. Conclusions Justifying the reasons for curriculum change greatly affected the students’ perceptions. Recommendations for smooth curriculum transition were provided in this research.