STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND THE TRANSITION TO CLINICAL TRAINING

Abstract: Objective: The objective of the study was to measure the learning environment as perceived by students enrolled in four dental institutions in Islamabad. Study Design: An observational study. Place & Duration of Study: The study was conducted at four dental institutions in Islamabad: Dental College HITEC-IMS, Islamic International Medical College School of Dentistry, PIMS, and Shifa College of Dentistry. The duration of the study was six months 31st May 2023 till 30th Nov 2023. Methodology: The data collection was done using the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire, which was completed by 318 dental students from four colleges. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test was used to evaluate data distribution. Cronbach's alpha determined the questionnaire's internal reliability. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the perceptions of preclinical (n=189) and clinical (n=129) students. Likert scale responses were obtained using median (IQR) values. Results: The Mann-Whitney U test demonstrated a statistically significant difference (p = 0.028) in how preclinical and clinical students perceived the learning environment. The median ratings revealed that clinical students reported lesser satisfaction in multiple dimensions, including confidence-building and instructor support, with median scores of 4 (IQR) across several questions for both groups. Conclusions: The finding indicates that students' assessments of their learning environment deteriorate dramatically with the shift to clinical training. Educational initiatives aimed at student assistance and curriculum structure may improve the clinical learning experience while addressing these challenges.