JDE
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

J Dent Educ. 71(3): 378-392 2007
© 2007 American Dental Education Association
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Keselyak, N. T.
Right arrow Articles by Gadbury-Amyot, C. C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Keselyak, N. T.
Right arrow Articles by Gadbury-Amyot, C. C.

Educational Methodologies

Evaluation of an Academic Service-Learning Course on Special Needs Patients for Dental Hygiene Students: A Qualitative Study

Nancy T. Keselyak, B.S.D.H., M.A.; Melanie Simmer-Beck, B.S.D.H., M.S.; Kimberly Krust Bray, B.S.D.H., M.S.; Cynthia C. Gadbury-Amyot, B.S.D.H., Ed.D.

Key words: service-learning, curriculum, dental hygienists, dental care for disabled, community dentistry, dental hygiene education, mental processes, awareness, professional role, qualitative research

Submitted for publication 08/03/06; accepted 11/04/06

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of a service-learning course on special needs patients for dental hygiene students by considering student reflections, community site coordinators’ feedback, and faculty reflections in a qualitative analysis. Twenty-three female dental hygiene students beginning their fourth semester in the program provided preventive oral health services at eight community sites serving six diverse groups of people having special health care needs. Students reflected on the experience via commentaries written in self-reflection journals. The investigators applied the constant comparative method to analyze and unitize the data, ultimately reaching consensus on three category topics: awareness, higher order thinking, and professionalism. End of course project assessments provided additional data that was used to triangulate with data from the reflective journals. Telephone interviews with the site coordinators and personal interviews with the course faculty provided data from multiple perspectives. The outcomes of this study suggest that service-learning pedagogy can facilitate a deeper understanding of the subject matter and provide an opportunity for students to use critical thinking strategies in addition to becoming aware of complex social and professional issues related to the oral health care of individuals with special needs.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2007 by the American Dental Education Association.