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Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
Published on: September 11, 2021
Do tutor expertise and experience influence student performance in a problem-based curriculum?
Sang E Park1, Srinivas M Susarla, Cheri K Cox
1Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. sang_park@hsdm.harvard.edu
Journal of Dental Education
|June 8, 2007
Summary
Tutor expertise and experience did not significantly impact overall student performance in a problem-based learning dental Restorative Treatment course. However, expert tutors showed improved final exam scores, especially those without prior tutoring experience.
Area of Science:
- Dental Education
- Problem-Based Learning
- Restorative Dentistry
Background:
- Problem-based learning (PBL) is a key pedagogical approach in dental education.
- The role of tutor expertise and experience in student outcomes within PBL curricula requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the relationship between tutor expertise/experience and student performance in a PBL dental Restorative Treatment course.
- To analyze how tutor qualifications influence various student assessment metrics.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 206 third-year dental students (2000-2005).
- Evaluation of student performance across tutorial sessions, midterm, final exams, preclinical lab work, and overall grades.
- Comparison of outcomes based on tutor prosthodontic expertise and prior tutoring experience.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant difference in overall course grades based on tutor expertise or experience.
- Students tutored by experts performed significantly better on the final examination (p<0.05).
- Expert tutors with no experience yielded higher final examination scores than expert tutors with experience (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
- Tutor expertise and prior experience do not generally affect overall student performance in this PBL dental course.
- Specific aspects of student assessment, like final examinations, may show differential outcomes related to tutor expertise.
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