Learning climate in dental hygiene education in Japan and Canada

Students' perception of their education is a subject that has received little attention from those providing dental hygiene education. Understanding some of the concerns of dental hygiene students might help faculty and administrators modify or change existing programs to address areas of student concerns. Objective: to gain an understanding of the learning environment in dental hygiene programs in Japan and Canada for the purpose of making positive changes in these environments. Methods: an instrument with 10 dimensions relating to learning environment was developed based on business and dental models, and designated as ‘Dental Hygiene Student Learning Climate Survey (DHSLCS)'. The Japanese version of DHSLCS was used for the 2nd and 3rd year dental hygiene students of Miyagi Advanced Dental Hygienist College from 2005-2007, and the English (original) version was used for the students at Vancouver Community College. Results: a total of 292 surveys were returned (average response rate: 62.7%). The DHSLCS scores of the Japanese students were statistically significantly lower than those of the Canadian students (p < 0.01) in all years tested. Analyses of the text-based individual comments showed differences in the focus of evaluation between Japanese and Canadian students. Based on analyses of the DHSLCS data, interventions to improve learning climate were designed and implemented. Although no significant improvement was observed in scores of subsequent DHSLCS for the Canadian students, statistically significant improvement in scores was observed for the Japanese students (from 45.9 ± 11.0 in 2005 to 50.1 ± 9.6 in 2007, p < 0.05). Conclusions: the dental hygiene students identified needs for improvement in their learning environment. Cultural differences including those of the profession may have influenced the students' perceptions of their learning environment. Continued implementation of student-centered interventions is helpful to establish a healthier learning climate.