The Competency-based Evaluation of Educational Crew of Dental Faculty’s Obstacles in Institutionalizing Performance Assessments

Abstract

Aims: This study evaluates the educational crew of dental faculty’s lived experiences facing obstacles and requirements in institutionalizing performance assessments to implement a professional competency-based evaluation system. Background: The competency-based evaluation of learning and teaching processes has been adopted as a key policy in the developed world, which indicates the achievement rate of educational goals and the quality of education. Objective: The main objective of this study was to evaluate obstacles in institutionalizing performance assessments for the educational crew. Methods: This qualitative study used a semi-structured interview in a focus group discussion. The experience of the educational crew regarding the obstacles of using performance assessments and their approaches to conducting a professional competency-based evaluation was assessed. The recruited participants were educational supervisors, professors of orthodontics and prosthodontics, and the medical education department and evaluation committee members of the faculty of dentistry at the University of Tabriz. The purposive sampling technique was used and continued until reaching saturation. Five focus group discussions were conducted with fourteen educational crew and three medical education department members. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: The interview analysis results yielded 450 codes in three general categories, including “current condition of clinical education,” “obstacles of implementing new evaluation methods,” and “requirements for effective evaluation of clinical skills.” According to the results, changes in evaluation methods are necessary to respond to community needs. There are also many cultural problems with applying western models in developing countries. Conclusion: The medical community should be directed towards a competency-based curriculum, especially in procedure-based fields, such as dentistry. Other: They are moving towards altering traditional evaluation methods (the traditional classroom-based lectures). This paradigm change requires support from the department and the provision of infrastructure.