An Appraisal of Dental Students’ Perception of Integrating Reflective Practice into the Curriculum: A Pre–Post Intervention Study

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate dental students’ perception of reflective practice before and after an educational intervention. Second, to investigate how it might be more effectively incorporated into dental education. Materials and methods: A 2-hour session for reflective writing instructions was done as a group discussion and feedback between the instructor and the learners. A template for reflection based on Gibbs’ reflective cycle was used. Fifty-one third-year dental students (academic year 2023–2024) participated in this study. Forty-four students consented and filled out an anonymous pre-session electronic survey. The survey comprised two parts including demographics (two questions) and reflective skills related part (11 questions). Twenty-nine students consented and filled out an anonymous post-session electronic survey. The survey included the same parts as the previous, as well as added opinion-related questions (2 questions). Results: Reflective practice was significantly appreciated among students who thought it was “extremely important” for dental education (n = 22, 75.8%). Moreover, most students (n = 17, 58.6%) believed it should be “completely integrated” into the curriculum. The methods applauded for reflective practice were group discussion (n = 23, 79.3%), reflective writing journal (n = 19, 65.5%), and an online platform (n = 8, 27.6%). There was a statistically significant difference in the evaluation of dental students’ perception of reflective practice before and after the session, favoring progress in reflective skills related to their capacity for self-assessment, reflection-on-action, and peer learning. Pre-session sex disparity was resolved after the session. Conclusion: Dental students’ perception of reflective practice enhanced after the educational intervention, and they favored its integration into the curriculum by organized group discussion. Clinical significance: This study supports the growing consensus that establishing reflective practice is a necessary element of becoming a healthcare professional and the recognition of reflective practice as part of continuous professional development for dental professionals.