Perceptions of students on a stand‐alone dental materials course in a revised dental curriculum

Abstract

Background The Dental Materials (DM) course was introduced as a stand‐alone course in 2013, at the University. Prior to that, DM was integrated into clinical courses. Objective To determine the perceptions of the Bachelor of Dental Science (BDS2 to BDS5) students on a stand‐alone DM course following curricular amendment. Methods This was a cross‐sectional study, in which a simple random sampling strategy was used, with forty‐six students participating. The study was conducted in 2017. A self‐administered, structured, validated questionnaire was used to collect data. The obtained data were summarised and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics (one‐way ANOVA). Results The study was conducted on Bachelor of Dental Science (BDS2 to BDS5) students. A response rate of 49% from the administered questionnaires was achieved. The overall perception, total mean percentage score of 71.4% was obtained showing a generally positive view on the relevance of the course by students. A total mean percentage score of 74.1% showed the students’ view that the DM course was well managed whilst a total mean score of 56.7% expressed the overall view on the reintegration of DM into clinical courses. Conclusion The students felt that DM was relevant and it could continue as a stand‐alone course. They perceived that the course was run effectively and managed well, but they had conflicting views on reintegration of the course into clinical modules. Studies with larger sample sizes at other Dental Schools are recommended to determine similarity of results.

A new attempt of applying hybrid team‐based and case‐based learning approach in dental materials science: Does it work?

“…This result corroborates previous studies suggesting that TBL–CBL is an effective method for enhancing students' knowledge through active group learning and improving students' academic performance 6,17,18 . Meanwhile, lectures that imply a passive didactic learning approach in teaching dental materials science are the cornerstone of most conventional dental educational system 3,19,20 . In conventional lectures, students listened to teachers with minimal active engagement or interaction with peers and teachers.…”

“…6,17,18 Meanwhile, lectures that imply a passive didactic learning approach in teaching dental materials science are the cornerstone of most conventional dental educational system. 3,19,20 In conventional lectures, students listened to teachers with minimal active engagement or interaction with peers and teachers. On contrary to didactic lectures, TBL and CBL enable students in the present study to actively participate in group discussions, debate the cases and ask questions during debriefing, all of which encourage active learning and improve the students' ability to work in teams.…”

Interdisciplinary Approaches for Integrating Materials Science and Dentistry

“…Unsurprisingly, some dental schools still need to implement a discipline-based approach to teaching dentistry, in which the curriculum is divided into various dental disciplines, including dental materials science. The discipline-based or subject-based curriculum is also known as a traditional curriculum, which refers to a wide range of dental specialties or disciplines that are bound together in the curriculum contents [ 7 , 8 ]. Although discipline-based curricula frequently focus on teaching students precise, up-to-date knowledge and skills in a specific course, students may still find it challenging to grasp the course’s integration of multidisciplinary knowledge, due to the fragmented discipline-based curricula [ 4 ].…”

Innovative Pedagogical Strategies in Health Professions Education: Active Learning in Dental Materials Science

“…Typically, dental students are used to the traditional lecture format of teaching dental materials science courses, in which they engage passively by listening to the teacher, watching PowerPoint (PPT) slides and handouts, as well as taking notes during lectures [5,6]. Thus, students may have difficulty developing a profound and lasting comprehension in such huge lecture-based classes.…”