Effect of Curriculum on Change of Learning Objectives for Students of Oral Health Sciences，Kyusyu Dental University

Abstract

The School of Oral Health Sciences of Kyushu Dental University has offered extensive clinical education for dental hygienists to provide the best oral health care to patients since it was established in 2010. The purpose of this study is to get basic data for improvement in curriculum of Oral Health Sciences. Questionnaire survey of the students' own objectives was conducted by using a form to submit their eight own goals for graduation at the end of the school year of 2nd-, 3rd- and 4th-grade for the first and second generations. The number of items of the educational objectives or the learning objectives of interest of the student increased at the 3rd-grade compared with the 2nd-grade both in the students of the first and second generations. Although the interest in the knowledge and skill in the objectives to be learned reduced by half at the 3rd-grade in the first generation, on the other hand, it was apt to increase in the second generation. It suggests that the experience of clinical practice may be effective for raising their motivation to learn. In addition, the clinical clerkship at other practitioners outside the University Hospital as well as the preparation of state examination enhanced their learning desires for more knowledge and skills. The foregoing results indicate that the current supporting system for learning may be one of the problems for reforming the clinical training of students at the University Hospital.