Patterns of verbal interaction and student satisfaction within a clinical setting: A video-enhanced observational study.

BACKGROUND: The increasingly competitive global higher education sector recognises the impact of teaching quality and a strong student voice. This means that student satisfaction is under increasing scrutiny; however, little is known about how clinical teachers actually teach. At present, the relationship between actual patterns of individual dental student-clinician interaction and student satisfaction is unclear. AIM: To investigate the relationship between patterns of verbal interaction and individual student satisfaction, during dental clinical teaching encounters. METHODS: A total of 150 patterns of verbal interactions between Stage 2 (BDS and Hygiene and Therapy, n = 86) students and clinical teaching staff were recorded within a clinical skills environment in a Dental School in the United Kingdom. Verbal interaction analysis (VIA) was used as a basis for recording full verbal interactions between students and skills teachers. RESULTS: The length of the encounter, the amount of praise/encouragement, the level of criticism, the number of questions asked and the proportion of student talk were significant predictors of student satisfaction. The proportions of time spent with the teacher talking, time spent in silence and time spent examining the patient or clinical work were not significant predictors of student satisfaction. Further, the degree to which the teacher lectured or gave direction was not a significant predictor of student satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: A number of observed behaviours correlated significantly with increased satisfaction. Praise and the acceptance of student ideas are required to offset high levels of criticism, and the encounter seems to require structure from the clinician with an emphasis on indirect influence rather than just lecturing.

The Early Erosive and Abrasive Challenge: A Profilometric, Electron Microscopic and Microhardness Study Using Human, Bovine and Ovine Enamel.

AIM: This study aimed to test the null hypothesis that there are no significant differences in surface characteristics of eroded and abraded human, ovine and bovine enamel. DESIGN: Twenty enamel slabs were prepared from bovine, human and ovine incisor crowns, and randomly assigned to one of 4 treatments: 30 second/4 minute immersion at 1%/6% w/v citric acid. Post-erosion, an oscillatory brush was used for 20 seconds. Roughness parameters, height change and scanning electron microscopy were measured at each stage. RESULTS: Whilst the eroded surface became generally less rough after the abrasive challenge, there were significant tissue differences. Abraded microhardness was significantly increased compared to eroded values (P⟨0.001), Surface loss was also significantly different between tissue types (P⟨0.001). Bovine enamel showed similar trends to human enamel but was consistently harder and more resistant to surface change. Ovine enamel displayed little correlation with human enamel.Scanning electron microscopy images showed differences for each tissue that were consistent with the quantitative data. CONCLUSIONS: The null hypothesis was rejected; neither bovine nor ovine enamel can be reliably used interchangeably with human enamel for erosion/abrasion studies.