Evaluation of a Brazilian Postgraduate Dental Program by the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure

Abstract

The evaluation of education environment is essential to provide to the professors a better understanding of the teaching process. One valuable tool for this assessment is the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM). This questionnaire has 50 questions and is divided in five dimensions: D1–Perceptions of teaching, D2–Perceptions of teacher, D3–Academic self-perceptions, D4–Perception of atmosphere, D5–Social self-perception. Although it was first elaborated to undergraduate medical students, it has been used to other health areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate learning environment of a dental postgraduate course in a Brazilian University. Twenty-one students of master degree and PhD program in Periodontics were invited to answer the DREEM questionnaire. The mean age of the students was 27.4 years old. The total DREEM mean was 146.8, presenting a positive learning environment. Possible correlations were analyzed by Spearman’s correlation test (P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between total DREEM and all 5 dimensions (p<0.05). The highest correlation was total DREEM with academic self-perceptions (r=0.938). There was no correlation between age and distance from parents home (p>0.05). In conclusion, the postgraduate learning environment is positive and students are satisfied. This questionnaire was very efficient and provided important information to maintain or improve our learning environment.