DENTAL RESIDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: EXPERIENCE OF A NIGERIAN TRAINING INSTITUTION


A.A. Olusanya1, T.O. Babarinde2, T.O. Aladelusi1, V.I. Akinmoladun1 and J.T. Arotiba1

  1. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan and University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.
  2. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: Learning environment has been described as crucial in determining the success of medical and dental education. Continuous evaluation of this environment will help in maximizing the learning opportunities of the training program.

Objective: To assess the resident doctors’ perception of their learning environment at a teaching hospital in Nigeria.

Method: The DREEM questionnaire was administered to participants undergoing residency training in the faculty of Dental Surgery at the University College Hospital, Ibadan.

Result: Thirty-nine resident doctors participated in the study (23 Males, 16 Females), mean age (+SD) was 35.7 (±4.22) ranging from 28 years to 46 years. Mean global score (+SD) was 105.3 (±26.8), 52.7%, out of a maximum of 200. The mean global score according to gender was significantly higher among males than females. The overall perception of the training environment by residents is more positive than negative and the male gender appears to have a more positive perception than the female gender. However, this perception is borderline as the environment was perceived as having many problems and residents’ perception of their learning environment is mostly negative. Attention of the institution and trainers should be drawn to possibilities of combating the problem areas for better outcome of residency training in our environment.

Correspondence:

Dr. T.O. Aladelusi
Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery,
College of Medicine,
University of Ibadan,
Ibadan.
toaladelusi@com.ui.edu.ng
drtimmylee@gmail.com

Introduction

Residency training program is a postgraduate medical education during which a medical or dental graduate is trained in a specialized field of medicine or dentistry. The program affords the trainee the opportunity to build on the knowledge laid down during the undergraduate period while focusing on a specialty. The Faculty of Dental Surgery residency program in Nigeria, consists of a three-year junior residency and subsequently a three-year senior residency period leading to an award of the fellowship of the postgraduate medical college.

An educational environment is everything that happens within the institution of training that is crucial in determining the success of medical or dental education1,2. This environment includes the trainer, trainee, teaching and learning methods, learning resources, monitoring and evaluation processes of the program, and the social life around the vicinity of learning. Clinical learning environments involve three key elements: clinical work; learning; and environment3. It is advocated that the clinical learning environment should nurture health care providers’ wellbeing, encourage adequate supervision, support safe transition of care, inspires interprofessional collaboration and stimulate scholarly activities aimed at developing and maintaining lifelong learning skills. As educational environment strongly affects trainees’ achievement, satisfaction and success, it is therefore essential to assess trainees’ perceptions of the learning environment as these perceptions can influence their learning outcome and ultimately the success of the residency-training programme. It is important to get regular feedback from trainees’ and students on how they experience the educational environment. It is therefore essential to assess trainees’ perceptions of the learning environment as these perceptions can influence their learning outcome and ultimately the success of the residency-training programme3,4. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) is a highly generic non-culturally specific tool used to assess trainees’ perception of their educational environment5. It can be used to evaluate the strength and weaknesses of a learning environment, compare learning institutions and assess the impact of a change in curriculum1,6. Understanding resident doctors’ perceptions of their learning environment may play a vital role in planning and implementing a holistic residency training curriculum. There is dearth of information on learning
environment in the residency training programme in our environment. This article describes the perception of learning environment by dental residents at the University College Hospital, Ibadan. Our aim was to assess whether the year of residency, gender or specialty has an association with residents’ perceptions of the learning environment.