{"title":"Challenges in implementing community‐based dental education programs in Australia: The lived experiences of program coordinators","authors":"Millicent R. Taylor, Sandra E. Carr, Omar Kujan","doi":"10.1002/jdd.13625","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThe benefits of community‐based dental education (CBDE) are well documented and reach far beyond students' educational growth, encompassing advantages for both dental schools and their community partners. Nonetheless, barriers associated with administering CBDE programs can have a significant impact on program outcomes. This study aims to explore the challenges faced by dental school CBDE coordinators in implementing and managing their programs.MethodsThis Interpretive Phenomenological study employed in‐depth semi‐structured interviews with CBDE program coordinators from Australian dental schools (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> = 6). Interviews, conducted between February and May 2023, via Microsoft Teams, were audio and video recorded and lasted an average of one hour each. Interviews were analyzed using NVivo 13. Questions explored administrative challenges, required resources, student management issues, and development goals for CBDE programs.ResultsData analysis included deductive and inductive coding through a seven‐step iterative process, organizing information into codes and sub‐codes, forming emerging themes. Four major themes with subthemes emerged: 1) Program administration, encompassing challenges in scheduling, coordinating, and adapting to changes; 2) Funding, crucial for establishing and maintaining remote educational sites; 3) Student experience management, highlighting student supervision, student behavior, and exposure; and 4) Partner site relationships, particularly in clinical supervisor recruitment and training.ConclusionThe successful implementation requires meticulous planning, effective coordination, and recognition of CBDE as an educational activity that should be grounded in evidence‐based pedagogy. Dental institutions are therefore encouraged to establish collaborative partnerships with local community organizations, allocate resources for outreach initiatives, and facilitate appropriate guidance to coordinators, students, and external clinical supervisors.","PeriodicalId":50216,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dental Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Dental Education","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.13625","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
PurposeThe benefits of community‐based dental education (CBDE) are well documented and reach far beyond students' educational growth, encompassing advantages for both dental schools and their community partners. Nonetheless, barriers associated with administering CBDE programs can have a significant impact on program outcomes. This study aims to explore the challenges faced by dental school CBDE coordinators in implementing and managing their programs.MethodsThis Interpretive Phenomenological study employed in‐depth semi‐structured interviews with CBDE program coordinators from Australian dental schools (n = 6). Interviews, conducted between February and May 2023, via Microsoft Teams, were audio and video recorded and lasted an average of one hour each. Interviews were analyzed using NVivo 13. Questions explored administrative challenges, required resources, student management issues, and development goals for CBDE programs.ResultsData analysis included deductive and inductive coding through a seven‐step iterative process, organizing information into codes and sub‐codes, forming emerging themes. Four major themes with subthemes emerged: 1) Program administration, encompassing challenges in scheduling, coordinating, and adapting to changes; 2) Funding, crucial for establishing and maintaining remote educational sites; 3) Student experience management, highlighting student supervision, student behavior, and exposure; and 4) Partner site relationships, particularly in clinical supervisor recruitment and training.ConclusionThe successful implementation requires meticulous planning, effective coordination, and recognition of CBDE as an educational activity that should be grounded in evidence‐based pedagogy. Dental institutions are therefore encouraged to establish collaborative partnerships with local community organizations, allocate resources for outreach initiatives, and facilitate appropriate guidance to coordinators, students, and external clinical supervisors.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Dental Education (JDE) is a peer-reviewed monthly journal that publishes a wide variety of educational and scientific research in dental, allied dental and advanced dental education. Published continuously by the American Dental Education Association since 1936 and internationally recognized as the premier journal for academic dentistry, the JDE publishes articles on such topics as curriculum reform, education research methods, innovative educational and assessment methodologies, faculty development, community-based dental education, student recruitment and admissions, professional and educational ethics, dental education around the world and systematic reviews of educational interest. The JDE is one of the top scholarly journals publishing the most important work in oral health education today; it celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2016.