An exploration of the impact of working in pairs on the dental clinical learning environment: Students’ views

Dargue, Anna, Richards, Charlotte ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4624-1155 and Fowler, Ellayne 2023. An exploration of the impact of working in pairs on the dental clinical learning environment: Students’ views. European Journal of Dental Education 27 (1) , pp. 87-100. 10.1111/eje.12780

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Abstract

Introduction: The aims of this study were to explore the undergraduate dental clinical students' experiences and perspectives of paired working in the clinical learning environment. Materials and methods: An interpretivist methodological approach with a socio-cultural lens was used. A stratified purposeful sampling strategy was chosen. Students digitally recorded three audio-diaries using Gibbs' cycle to guide reflection on collabo-rating clinically with a peer. 1:1 semi-structured interviews were held using a topic guide. Inductive thematic data analysis was undertaken.Results: Eight participants were recruited. Main themes related to individual characteristics (motivation, professionalism, knowledge and experience) and relational features (feeling safe, attaching value, positive working relationships) that contributed to effective collaborative partnerships. The social setting is important for learning in the dental clinical environment. Benchmarking is used by students to motivate and reas-sure. Students learnt from their peers, particularly when they felt safe and supported and had developed good relationships. A lesser quality learning experience was high-lighted in the assistant role. Conclusion: Paired working for clinical training was viewed mostly positively. Working with a variety of peers was beneficial and enabled development of interpersonal skills and professionalism. More effective collaborative learning partnerships were de-scribed when students felt they belonged and had affective support. Disadvantages of paired working were noted as reduced hands-on experience, particularly for senior students and when working in the assistant role. Ground rules and setting learning goals to change the mind-set about the assistant role were recommended. Emotional and practical support of students is needed in the clinical setting.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Dentistry
Additional Information:	This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Publisher:	John Wiley and Sons
ISSN:	1396-5883
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	14 February 2022
Date of Acceptance:	15 January 2022
Last Modified:	04 Jul 2023 21:22
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/147317

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