Factors Influencing Dental Educators As They Develop Problem-Based Learning Cases

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Medical Education
• Pedagogy

Background:

• Problem-based learning (PBL) utilizes patient cases to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Research indicates non-structured cases enhance these abilities, yet structured cases are prevalent in dental PBL.
• This study investigates factors influencing case development in a hybrid dental PBL program.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the factors influencing dental educators' development of patient cases for a hybrid problem-based learning program.
• To understand the rationale behind the prevalence of structured versus non-structured cases in this specific educational context.

Main Methods:

• Phenomenological study design.
• Semi-structured interviews with seven dental educators involved in PBL case development.
• Content analysis, conceptual mapping, field notes, researcher memos, and member checking for data triangulation.

Main Results:

• Two major themes emerged: external and internal factors influencing case development.
• External factors included curricular time limitations and curriculum structure (hybrid model), favoring structured cases with definitive solutions.
• Internal factors revealed educators' beliefs valuing guided learning and content expert input, even while supporting PBL as a strategy.

Conclusions:

• External constraints like limited time and hybrid curriculum design significantly shape PBL case development towards a structured approach.
• Educators' internal beliefs about student learning needs, emphasizing guidance over pure self-direction, reinforce the use of structured cases.
• The findings suggest a tension between the ideal PBL philosophy and practical implementation in dental education, influenced by both systemic and individual factors.