Evaluating Study Approach of Dental Students in Palestine using a Study Process Questionnaire: A Cross-Sectional...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Dental Education

Background:

• Learning approach strategies are crucial for knowledge acquisition in professional courses.
• Surface and deep learning approaches are the two primary learning strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the study approach strategies employed by dental students in Palestine.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study design was used, involving 250 dental students from first to fifth year at Al Quds University.
• The Revised Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) was administered via Google Forms.
• Data were analyzed using SPSS, comparing R-SPQ-2F scores with curriculum assessment examination scores.

Main Results:

• Fifth-year dental students demonstrated significantly higher mean scores for deep learning approaches compared to other years (P < 0.001).
• Students achieving over 80% in curriculum assessments exhibited significantly more deep learning strategies than surface learning strategies (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• A deep learning approach is associated with improved academic outcomes in dental education.
• Implementing novel teaching strategies to foster deep learning within the dental curriculum is recommended.