Effects of informal learner handover in clinical dental education

It is currently under discussion whether Learner Handovers (LH) are beneficial, disadvantageous, or useful in Health Professions Education. Research has not been conducted to determine the extent of existing informal learner handover (ILH) through faculty discussions. In addition to providing stakeholders with added context, examining the nature of ILH may also provide insight into the bias associated with Learner Handover.

Transcripts from a series of semi-structured Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and interviews (from January to March 2022) were iteratively reviewed to identify relevant patterns and correlations. The study involved the voluntary participation of 16 active clinical dental faculty members with a variety of designations. We did not discard any opinions.

It was found that ILH had a mild impact on students' training. ILH effects can be categorized into four key areas: (1) faculty behavior with students, (2) faculty expectations from students, 3) teaching approach, and 4) faculty feedback practices. Furthermore, five additional factors were identified as having a greater influence on ILH practices.

In clinical dental training, ILH has a minor effect on faculty-student interactions. Faculty perceptions and ILH are strongly influenced by other factors contributing to the student's 'academic reputation. As a result, student-faculty interactions are never free of prior influences, so stakeholders need to take them into consideration when creating a formal LH.