Students' perceptions regarding dental courses : an integrative literature review

Abstract

Background: Currently, dental courses are concerned with an academic environment with spaces to coach students to construct an ethical and a humane profile. Dental students’ perceptions regarding their courses need to be the baseline to curricula evaluation. This study aims to comprehend the perceptions regarding dental courses and describe how these perceptions are currently studied. Materials and Methods: Quantitative and descriptive approach designed by an Integrative Literature Review. Authors constructed the sample of study by means of the descriptors Education; Perception; Dentistry and Curriculum. Authors crossed these descriptors at worldwide databases as Lilacs, PubMed/Medline/WofS, IBECS, Library Cochrane, and SciELO. Results: 76% of the evidences were developed by means of quantitative studies without application of a validate instrument (68%). The content, of the 25 articles analyzed, were categorized as: Perceptions about educational and social environment to evaluate an undergraduate curriculum (68%); Evaluating student’s abilities and their academic interests to analyze his/her academic training (24%); Problem-Based Learning in health undergraduate courses as a possibility for perspective of learning (8%). The evidence levels of sample selection were III (4%); IV (52%); V (28%) and VI (16%). Conclusion: This research considers that new evaluations are necessary in order to validate the information about the students’ perception regarding dental course.