An evaluation of the effectiveness of discussion and debate learning in a dental hygiene ethics class: a case study focusing on changes in moral sensitivity and judgment

Objectives: Moral sensitivity and moral judgment are key factors influencing ethical decision-making in the clinical practice of dental hygienists.This study utilized a dilemma discussion in a dental hygiene ethics class to assess changes in the moral sensitivity and moral judgment of students and to examine the implications of these changes.Methods: The study included 46 sophomore students from the Department of Dental Hygiene who were enrolled in a dental hygiene ethics course during the second semester of 2021.The class employed the dilemma discussion method in the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model-based Development Beyond Learning (DBL) dental hygiene ethics curriculum.This approach aimed to help dental hygienists develop professional ethics and make sound ethical judgments.To evaluate the degree of change in moral perception before and after the dilemma discussion class, a predesigned questionnaire was administered twice-once in the first week and again in the 15th week of the course.Results: Moral sensitivity increased following the dental hygiene ethics course.Although moral judgement did no show a statistically significant change, students demonstrated a noticeable shift toward deeper consideration in their ethical reasoning.Conclusions: Dental hygiene programs should explore diverse instructional designs and activities to foster ethical competencies.This study provides insights that may contribute to improving the ethical thinking skills of future dental hygienists.