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Identification of influence factors for the implementation of communication curricula in dental education
Author(s) -
Rüttermann S.,
Kiessling C.,
Haak R.,
GerhardtSzep S.,
Härtl A.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
european journal of dental education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.583
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1600-0579
pISSN - 1396-5883
DOI - 10.1111/eje.12315
Subject(s) - curriculum , test (biology) , dental education , medical education , quality (philosophy) , identification (biology) , mann–whitney u test , medicine , curriculum mapping , psychology , dentistry , curriculum development , pedagogy , paleontology , philosophy , botany , epistemology , biology
Abstract Introduction The aim of the study was to reveal possible obstacles or advantages for the implementation of a dental communication curriculum. It was questioned whether (i) universities with a communication curriculum in medicine realise the same development in dentistry, (ii) the existence and usage of a learning objectives catalogue is a main factor to facilitate the implementation, and (iii) it is more easy to establish with a lower number of students. Material and methods Data of two recently published surveys were taken as the basis for further analysis. The quality of the curricula was evaluated by a scoring system. Correlations were calculated between the scores and possible influence factors. A t test for paired samples was accomplished to reveal differences between medical and dental curricula, and a Mann‐Whitney U test to identify differences in schools with and without the usage of a learning objectives catalogue. Results No significant correlation was found between the quality scores of medical and dental schools; t tests revealed significant differences between them ( P = .004). Correlation between cohort size and quality of the curriculum was marginal. Mann‐Whitney U test revealed significantly higher quality scores for dental schools using a learning objectives catalogue ( P = .001). Conclusions The existence of a learning objectives catalogue might facilitate the implementation of communication curricula at dental schools. A missing notable curriculum in the corresponding medical school should not detain from a respective campaign in the dental curriculum. Large student numbers should also not discourage from developing a communication curriculum.