Undergraduate dental students' perceptions regarding educational environment in a private dental institute in India

Abstract

Introduction: Developing countries with improper dentist population ratio like India cannot lose health-care students during their undergraduate training period. Educational environment indirectly influences academic outcome of students needed to be assessed quantitatively so that perceptions of students can be acknowledged. The present study is influenced by this concern to understand views of students about the climate of their institute. Aim: The aim of this study is to gauge students' perceptions about their educational climate in a dental college in India and to evaluate the differences if any, related to gender and year of training with regard to perceptions toward educational environment. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire as the survey instrument. Questionnaire was distributed to undergraduate dental students (n = 326) within study duration of 6 months by primary investigator. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 21. Descriptive statistics were computed. t- test and one-way analysis of variance were used with level of statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: Overall DREEM score of institute was 126.46 indicating positive perceptions among students for their educational environment. Statistically significant difference was obtained for gender and year of study (P ≤ 0.05). A total of nine problem areas (individual mean score <2) were identified in the present academic environment. Conclusions: Undergraduate dental students have positive perceptions regarding their educational environment with some problematic areas needing proper action and intervention.