Assessing dental education environment in India: Foundation for future-A systematic review

Abstract

Little information is available on the quality of the learning experience perceived by the dental students in India. The aim of this study was to review the available evidence on the educational environment in Indian dental colleges using Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM). Several electronic databases and reference lists of the included publications were searched according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Quality assessment was performed based on the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. Eight studies were found to meet the inclusion criteria. DREEM was commonly administered to the undergraduate dental students. The total number of participants included were 1,799. There was clinical heterogeneity in terms of outcome variables and study population. All the included studies reported a total mean score in the range of 101–150. The overall DREEM score indicated positive perceptions among students. Greater number of problem areas were recorded in student's perception of atmosphere and social self-perceptions. Least number of problem areas were recorded in students' perception of learning, teachers, and academic self-perception. Significantly low mean scores for the items “The teaching over emphasizes factual learning” and “The teachers are authoritarian” were also noted. This indicated that these areas of concern in the present educational system need to be addressed with effective intervention strategies.