Oral health educators' reflections on teaching 2022 and beyond.

Area of Science:

• Health professions education
• Medical education
• Dental education

Background:

• The global pandemic necessitated significant changes in health science education delivery.
• This study examines the immediate effects of these shifts on faculty and their professional development.
• Key objectives included understanding faculty experiences, identifying sustainable pedagogical methods, and assessing support needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe faculty experiences teaching during the pandemic.
• To identify strategies for sustaining novel pedagogical approaches.
• To determine faculty support requirements and provide recommendations for oral health professions education.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-method approach with an exploratory sequential design was employed.
• Qualitative data were gathered through focus groups with 37 faculty members across various dental programs and administrative roles.
• Quantitative data were collected via a multi-institutional survey of 144 faculty.

Main Results:

• The study yielded 14 distinct recommendations for oral health institutions and educators.
• These recommendations include nine structural changes and five individual-level strategies.
• Findings highlight the profound impact of the pandemic on faculty and the emergence of new development needs.

Conclusions:

• Oral health education faculty faced substantial challenges due to the pandemic, necessitating new faculty development approaches.
• Traditional faculty development models may be obsolete post-COVID-19.
• The pandemic fostered innovation in curriculum design, teaching, and assessment, requiring strategies for sustained implementation.