Self-assessment skills of undergraduate students in operative dentistry: Preclinical performance and gender

Self-assessment is key to improving the quality of work performed by dental professionals. The ability to accurately self-assess has been found to correlate with better clinical performance, making it an important skill for students to master during their dental education. Furthermore, studies conducted in dental schools across the world have shown that lower-performing students tend to overestimate their abilities compared to their peers.

This study aimed to evaluate the self-assessment skills of dental students in pre-clinical operative dentistry and to investigate the impact of gender on these skills.

Third-year undergraduate dental students (N = 335) took 2 pre-clinical practical exams: class II composite preparation and restoration. Students self-assessed each assignment using a standardized rubric, and 6 calibrated faculty members graded all procedures blindly and independently. The difference between students' self-assessment scores (S) and mean faculty grades (F) reflected the students' self-assessment skills and was referred to as the Student-Faculty (S-F) gap. A positive S-F gap indicates that students overestimate their work, while a negative S-F gap indicates that students underestimate their work. Data was stratified by gender and by faculty-determined student performance, and then statistically analyzed.

The study demonstrated a statistically significant difference between faculty grades and students' self-assessment scores. Positive S-F gaps were observed across all procedures, indicating overestimation, with a mean S-F gap of 11.4 ±9.9%. A negative correlation was found between faculty grades and S-F gaps. Higher-performing students showed smaller S-F gaps (4.8 ±5.3%) compared to lower-performing students (21.2 ±9.68%). Furthermore, male students showed significantly higher S-F gaps (14.0 ±10.3%) compared to females (9.7 ±9.4%).

Overestimation was more prevalent among lower-performing and male students compared to higher-performing and female students. Future investigations should consider exploring effective interventions and educational strategies aimed at improving students' self-awareness and their ability to accurately assess their performance.