The Effectiveness of Clinical Instruction Evaluation by Trainee Dentists on Improving the Motivation of Dental Instructors to Develop Educational Ability

Abstract

 Abstract The qualitative improvement of educational ability of dental instructors is indispensable for practical dental education. The aims of this study were to verify the influence of clinical instruction evaluation by trainee dentists on developing the instruction ability of dental instructors and to motivate their educational activity.

 Six senior dental instructors and seven assistant dental instructors in the dental trainee program of Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital in 2015 were included in the study. Twenty-two trainee dentists evaluated the clinical instruction of the dental instructors using a Maastricht clinical evaluation sheet at the end of the training period, and the evaluation results were fed back to each instructor. Then, a questionnaire survey of the instructors was carried out.

 The senior dental instructors considered that the evaluation by the trainee dentists was reasonable and that the evaluation was necessary. Half of the assistant dental instructors answered that the evaluation was useful and will use it for their future instruction, however, some of them seemed to become aware of their role as an instructor for the trainee dentists. Both senior and assistant instructors indicated that clarifying the points to be noted in instruction was meaningful for all instructors to reach a consensus on the way of clinical instruction, thus improving the clinical training system.

 Clinical instruction evaluation of instructors by trainee dentists may be useful to improve the motivation for developing clinical educational ability and accepted willingly by dental instructors.