Resumo

MOODLEY, R; SINGH, S  e  MOODLEY, I. Undergraduate dental students' perspectives on teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results from an online survey conducted at a South African university using a mixed-methods approach. Afr. J. Health Prof. Educ. (Online) [online]. 2022, vol.14, n.1, pp.2-8. ISSN 2078-5127.  http://dx.doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2022.v14i1.1482.

BACKGROUND: Many institutions of higher education transitioned from classroom-based settings to remote settings as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is unclear how undergraduate dental therapy and oral hygiene students responded to this transition in the learning environmentOBJECTIVES: To explore undergraduate dental students' knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and practices related to clinical and theory-based learning at a South African universityMETHODS: A mixed-methods approach comprising a concurrent dominant status design (QUAN/qual) was used. Therefore, the study was a cross-sectional quantitative survey with descriptive qualitative data. An online, self-administered questionnaire with open- and closed-ended questions was developed to gain insights into students' knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and learning practices during the COVID-19 pandemicRESULTS: Most respondents (n=86; 80.4%) agreed that they had the necessary skills to engage with online learning (p=0.04). Respondents in the first year (n=25; 76%), second year (n=24; 73%) and third year (n=32; 28%) were either unsure or did not agree that they understood online platform-based lectures better than classroom-based lectures. The major emergent themes included external (internet connectivity) and internal (students' coping skills) barriers to online learningCONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted dental student challenges in embracing the blended approach of teaching and learning. While this may be a new norm for curriculum delivery, it is important to include student input in curriculum-related decision-making processes

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