Learning climate in dental hygiene education: a longitudinal case study of a Japanese and Canadian programme
- 13 April 2010
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in International Journal of Dental Hygiene
- Vol. 8 (2), 134-142
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1601-5037.2009.00411.x
Abstract
Educational climates have been found to have important influences on learning, but little feedback has been obtained from dental hygiene students. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the learning climate in Japanese and Canadian dental hygiene programmes for the purpose of making positive changes. A survey instrument with 10 dimensions relating to learning climate was adapted from business and dental models, and designated as the Dental Hygiene Student Learning Climate Survey (DHS-LCS). Higher scores indicated a more positive and supportive learning climate, and lower scores indicated an environment that is potentially less desirable. Students enrolled in a Japanese and a Canadian dental hygiene programme participated in this four-year study from 2005 to 2008. A total of 402 surveys were returned for an average response rate of 62%. The mean total DHS-LCS score of Canadian students was statistically significantly higher than that of Japanese students (P < 0.001) in all years tested, indicating that the Canadian students' perceptions of their learning environment were more favourable than those of the Japanese students. Based on the analyses of the DHS-LCS data, interventions to improve learning climates were designed and implemented. There were statistically significant improvements (P < 0.01) in DHS-LCS scores of Japanese and Canadian students over the years of the study, suggesting that student-centred interventions improved the perceived learning environment. The instrument appears to be helpful in identifying student concerns and can be used to implement interventions to help support a healthier learning climate.Keywords
This publication has 42 references indexed in Scilit:
- Perceptions of Japanese and Canadian dental hygiene students towards their professionInternational Journal of Dental Hygiene, 2009
- Development of an International Collaborative Dental Hygiene Programme between Japan and CanadaInternational Journal of Dental Hygiene, 2008
- Dysphagia management in a 3-year dental hygiene education programme in JapanInternational Journal of Dental Hygiene, 2005
- Psychological well‐being and perceptions of stress amongst Japanese dental studentsEuropean Journal of Dental Education, 2005
- Evidence‐based practice and the professionalization of dental hygieneInternational Journal of Dental Hygiene, 2004
- Educational Environment in Traditional and Innovative Medical Schools: A Study in Four Undergraduate Medical SchoolsPublished by Informa UK Limited ,2004
- Clinical students' initial reports of the educational climate in a single medical schoolMedical Education, 2004
- Issues in Cross‐cultural Quality‐of‐Life ResearchJournal of Nursing Scholarship, 2001
- Self-Confidence: A Requirement for Collaborative PracticeDimensions of Critical Care Nursing, 1993
- Discerning ViewsEvaluation & the Health Professions, 1991