Pilot Study to Assess the Reflective Process among Dental Students

Objectives:

Over the past 20 years students learning style, learning approaches and reflection have been investigated to varying degrees of success. The reflective process encourages learners to gain new insights and understanding about themselves and their environment.

The aim was to investigate the effect of age, gender socioeconomic status, on learning styles, learning approaches, learning environment and reflection.

Methods:

This study was conducted at a UK dental school during September 2007. 143 dental undergraduate students were consented to participate. Demographic details and academic achievements of subjects were obtained. Four structured questionnaires were administered; Index of Learning Style Questionnaire [ILS], short Approaches to Learning and Studying Questionnaire to assess learning approaches, Sobral's Scale of Reflection-in-Learning and the Dundee Ready Education Environment Method Questionnaire (DREEM) to evaluate students' opinion of their education/learning environment.

Results:

Response rates: 79.3%, 77.6% and 74.8% were achieved for ILS, sALS and RLS respectively. ILS assessed the undergraduate learning styles in the four dimensions: Active 22.5%/Reflective 12%, Sensing 43.7%/Intuitive 12%, Visual 44.4%/ Verbal 1.4% and Sequential 36.6%/Global 6.3%. Significant correlation (p=0.002) between visual/verbal, sequential/global learners and gender. The sALS inventory describes the students' approach to studying. Significant correlations (p=0.000) between the undergraduate year and the different approaches, and their academic achievement with monitoring study (p=0.000), organized study/effort management (p=0.036) were noted. 38.8% of students were ample in their ability to reflect. No significant gender, age, socioeconomic or academic differences.

Conclusion:

ILS provides a profile of learning styles that a dentist has: a sensing learner, oriented towards facts and procedures, visual and sequential learner; learning by trying things out. The student cohort year influences their approach to studying. The intention is to achieve a passable grade by using organized study methods and good time-management to deal with the academic content and demands of the assessment system.