A phenomenological study on East and Southeast Asian dental educators: perceived importance, challenges, and strategies in teaching dental materials science

BMC Oral Health Lin et al. BMC Oral Health (2023) 23:571 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-023-03293-4 Open Access RESEARCH A phenomenological study on East and Southeast Asian dental educators: perceived importance, challenges, and strategies in teaching dental materials science Galvin Sim Siang Lin1*, Wen Wu Tan2 and Chan Choong Foong3 Abstract Background Effective teaching of dental materials science is crucial for dental students to develop a comprehensive understanding of materials used in clinical practice. However, literature on educators’ views on teaching this subject is still scarce. This qualitative study aimed to explore the lived experiences of dental educators in teaching dental materials science subjects, thereby addressing potential gaps and enhancing teaching practices. Methods Thirteen dental educators from East and Southeast Asian countries (Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, and Japan) participated in the present study. The present study adopted a transcendental phenomenological approach. One-to-one semi-structured online interviews were conducted. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was employed to identify patterns in the educators’ experiences. Results Three themes emerged from the present study. First, perceptions of the importance of dental materials science, highlighting its relevance in clinical practice, patient care, and lifelong learning. Second, the challenges faced in teaching dental materials science include limited instructional time, complex content, and insufficient resources. Third, specific strategies, such as applying interactive teaching methods, integrating clinical scenarios, and promoting critical thinking skills have been suggested to enhance teaching and learning. Conclusion Understanding dental educators’ experiences can improve dental materials science education, curriculum development, teaching methods, and faculty training programmes, ultimately enhancing the knowledge and skills of dental students in this field. Keywords Dental education, Qualitative research, Dental educators, Dental materials, Thematic analysis *Correspondence: Galvin Sim Siang Lin 1 Department of Dental Materials, Faculty of Dentistry, Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) University, Bedong, Kedah 08100, Malaysia 2 Department of Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) University, Bedong, Kedah 08100, Malaysia 3 Medical Education and Research Development Unit (MERDU), Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia © The Author(s) 2023. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data. Lin et al. BMC Oral Health (2023) 23:571 Background Dental materials science plays a crucial role as an important preclinical subject in most dental curricula [1]. It provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to select and utilise appropriate dental materials for various clinical procedures, thereby ensuring optimal patient care and treatment outcomes [2]. Dental materials, including restorative materials, impression materials, prosthetic materials, and biomaterials, play a fundamental role in various dental procedures such as restorations, prosthodontics, endodontics, and orthodontics. Therefore, dental students must acquire a comprehensive understanding of the physical, mechanical, chemical, and biological properties of commonly used dental materials [3]. They must be familiar with the principles of material selection, manipulation techniques, and the factors influencing material performance and longevity [4]. Moreover, they must develop critical thinking skills to evaluate and apply research findings and advancements in dental materials science in clinical practice [5]. Undeniably, teaching dental materials science presents unique challenges in dental education. The subject matter is multidisciplinary, drawing from fields such as materials science, chemistry, physics, and engineering [6]. It is also one of the preclinical dental subjects that most students regard as bored, monotonous, and difficult [7, 8]. As a result, dental educators must ensure that students grasp the fundamental concepts while relating them to clinical scenarios and real-world applications [9, 10]. Furthermore, dental materials science is a rapidly evolving field with constant advancements in materials technology and research [11]. Thus, dental educators must remain updated with the latest developments and effectively communicate these advancements to the students. Effective education in dental materials science requires a combination of factual knowledge delivery, laboratory exercises, and clinical applications [12]. Lectures provide a theoretical foundation and conceptual understanding, while laboratory sessions allow students to gain practical experience in handling and manipulating dental materials [9]. Clinical integration is essential for bridging the gap between classroom knowledge and its application in patient care [10]. Although dental materials science education is of utmost importance, several challenges exist in its content delivery, such as limited instructional time within crowded curricula, complexity of the subject matter, and availability of resources and laboratory facilities [7, 13]. In addition, the diversity in learning styles and backgrounds among dental students necessitates the use of innovative teaching methodologies and approaches [7, 14]. Effective teaching of this subject is essential for dental students to become competent professionals, and dental educators play a vital role in shaping students’ understanding Page 2 of 9 of dental materials science. Therefore, it is important to investigate dental educators’ experiences of teaching this subject. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of research exploring the experiences of dental educators in teaching dental materials science. Understanding th (...truncated)