An Appraisal of Dental Students' Perception of Integrating Reflective Practice into the Curriculum: A Pre-Post Intervention Study.

AIM

To evaluate dental students' perception of reflective practice before and after an educational intervention. Second, to investigate how it might be more effectively incorporated into dental education.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A 2-hour session for reflective writing instructions was done as a group discussion and feedback between the instructor and the learners. A template for reflection based on Gibbs' reflective cycle was used. Fifty-one third-year dental students (academic year 2023-2024) participated in this study. Forty-four students consented and filled out an anonymous pre-session electronic survey. The survey comprised two parts including demographics (two questions) and reflective skills related part (11 questions). Twenty-nine students consented and filled out an anonymous post-session electronic survey. The survey included the same parts as the previous, as well as added opinion-related questions (2 questions).

RESULTS

Reflective practice was significantly appreciated among students who thought it was "extremely important" for dental education ( = 22, 75.8%). Moreover, most students ( = 17, 58.6%) believed it should be "completely integrated" into the curriculum. The methods applauded for reflective practice were group discussion ( = 23, 79.3%), reflective writing journal ( = 19, 65.5%), and an online platform ( = 8, 27.6%). There was a statistically significant difference in the evaluation of dental students' perception of reflective practice before and after the session, favoring progress in reflective skills related to their capacity for self-assessment, reflection-on-action, and peer learning. Pre-session sex disparity was resolved after the session.

CONCLUSION

Dental students' perception of reflective practice enhanced after the educational intervention, and they favored its integration into the curriculum by organized group discussion.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This study supports the growing consensus that establishing reflective practice is a necessary element of becoming a healthcare professional and the recognition of reflective practice as part of continuous professional development for dental professionals. How to cite this article: Abdel-Wahed N, Sabban H, Khalifa H, . An Appraisal of Dental Students' Perception of Integrating Reflective Practice into the Curriculum: A Pre-Post Intervention Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(12):1084-1091.