ORIGINAL RESEARCH |
https://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10005-2732 |
Knowledge and Experiences of Undergraduate Dental Students and Interns toward Research: A Cross-sectional Study
1,2Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, Division of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
3–8College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
9Department of Public Health Dentistry, KVG Dental College and Hospital, Sullia, Karnataka, India
Corresponding Author: Prabhadevi C Maganur, Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, Division of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia, Phone: +91 96655916621, e-mail: prabhadevi.maganur@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Aim: To evaluate the knowledge and experiences of undergraduate dental students and interns toward research at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted by using a self-explanatory questionnaire consisting of 14 questions and was mailed as Google e-forms.
Results: The response rate for the survey was 72.1%. A vast majority (97.5%) considered conducting research very important and agreed that research learning constituted a part of their dental curriculum. A significant fraction of the population (73.8%) did not conduct any research during their undergraduate course, and the majority (75.5%) agreed that they enjoyed doing research. Disappointingly, a very small fraction of the study participants (8.9%) had knowledge about scientific manuscript writing. The majority (89.6%) interestingly stated that they would undertake research in the future.
Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrated that dental students at the University of Jazan exhibited a high level of interest and knowledge in the realm of research. Despite the recognition of research’s significance in education, the study revealed that a relatively small proportion of students actually engaged in research activities. To foster a favorable attitude toward scientific research among undergraduate students, it is crucial to cultivate critical thinking and reasoning skills.
How to cite this article: Vishwanathaiah S, Maganur PC, Alali MA, et al. Knowledge and Experiences of Undergraduate Dental Students and Interns toward Research: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(6):824–828.
Source of support: Nil
Conflict of interest: None
Keywords: Dental interns, Experience research, Knowledge research, Undergraduate dental students
INTRODUCTION
Undergraduate research (UR) has become an important aspect of medical education in many countries and has been shown to improve the performance of health professionals by developing key skills such as critical analysis, independent learning, and leadership, regardless of whether they pursue an academic or research career.1 Healthcare research and innovation play a crucial role in shaping new advancements and guidelines for clinical practice globally. The provision of quality healthcare services depends on the collaboration between healthcare researchers and practitioners.2 Maintaining a healthy equilibrium between these two professions is essential for the consistent provision of evidence-based care.3
Most of the different types of healthcare professions, including clinicians and health research scientists, are said to have evolved from various students in healthcare.4 However, many students tend to choose clinical practice over health research as a career despite showing positive attitudes toward scientific research earlier. This has led to a shortage of health research scientists worldwide.5,6 A common reason cited for this imbalance is the lack of early exposure to research during undergraduate education.2 There is a growing need for dental scientists, yet there is a deficit in the field, and the competition for dental talent is decreasing. The vast majority of dental practitioners have excellent clinical skills but very weak research ability. This trend raises questions about the usefulness of existing dental education in fostering dental research talent.7
In 1926, the Gies report8 recommended that dental education should incorporate research opportunities into the optional dental curriculum, a suggestion that has persisted to this day. Undergraduate Dental Basic Research Education (UDBRE) plays a vital role in undergraduate dental education, providing a platform for active learning and critical thinking.8 UDBRE fosters scientific curiosity and encourages dental students to reflect on basic science problems encountered in clinical practice, thus contributing to the advancement of dentistry. Equipped with both clinical skills and basic research capabilities, UDBRE-trained students form a valuable talent pool of scientist-dentists who are more likely to remain in academia and pursue careers in teaching. This helps expand college staff and mitigate the problem of brain drain.7,9,10
Numerous studies have been conducted in various countries to assess the awareness and attitudes of medical students and health professionals regarding scientific research.1,2,7 Despite this, there has been limited research on the incentives, difficulties, and motivations that encourage or discourage dental students from pursuing research during their education. The objective of this study is to explore the practical aspects of scientific research among Jazan University dental students, examine the factors that facilitate or hinder UR, and analyze the contextual factors of scientific practice during the undergraduate program as perceived by the students.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
From January to April 2022, cross-sectional observational research was undertaken among all the dental students and interns at Jazan University. Ethical clearance was obtained by the Institutional Ethical Committee bearing registration number CODJU-2101S.
Sample Size Calculation
Sample size calculation was done using the formula:
Where,
Z (1 − α/2) = 1.96 for 95% confidence interval
p = Proportion of the participants (32.6%) experienced in research activities.11
d = Precision of the study.With a precision of 7%, the sample size required for the present study is calculated as 172.
Around 5% of the calculated sample size was added to compensate for sampling loss, if any, and the final sample size accounted for a total of 180 participants.
Selection Criteria
This study involved students who voluntarily provided informed consent for participation through Google e-forms.
Validation of the Tool
A set of 18 questions were prepared in the English language based on the literature review. To ensure content validity, experts reviewed the questionnaire and calculated Aiken’s index to assess each question’s relevance, with only those questions scoring ≥0.6 being included in the final form. The questionnaire’s reliability was measured using Cronbach’s α value, which ranged from 0.76 to 0.89, with a median value of 0.85, indicating good reliability.
Data Collection Instrument
The survey utilized in this analysis consisted of three sections. The first section consisted of the collection of fundamental demographic data, while the second section assessed the knowledge of students and interns in the dentistry course at Jazan University. The third part assessed participants’ research experience. The knowledge and experience sections of the questionnaire each consisted of seven statements.
Study Procedure
To gather data for this study, a structured, self-explanatory, closed-ended questionnaire was developed and distributed online to 280 dental students. The questionnaire consisted of 14 questions and included a consent form as an attachment. Google e-forms were used to send the questionnaire link via email, and each student was allowed to provide only one response. As soon as the participants clicked the link, they were sent to a page that provided information about the research as well as an opportunity to provide their informed permission before moving on to the subsequent questions. To ensure optimal participation rates, a total of five email reminders were sent at 2-day intervals, and only students who responded were ultimately included in the study, while those who did not respond were excluded.
Statistical Analysis
Descriptive statistics of student’s responses to different questions were assessed using IBM Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0, Chicago.
RESULTS
Among the 280 students, 202 completed the questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 72.1%. The majority of the students who participated in the study were females (52.48%), and a major proportion of students belonged to the 6th year (35.64%).
Analyzing the knowledge of participants toward research revealed that research designing was known only to 23.3% of the study participants, and around 46.5% had some idea regarding the same. The majority (69.8%) agreed that research learning constituted a part of their dental curriculum. Sadly, most of them (29.7%) considered research just as a requirement for completing higher training. More than half of the participants (58.9%) wanted to start doing research when they were students themselves. Around 20.3% of the participants stated that “they were more interested in conducting research in the specialty of oral and maxillofacial dentistry” and the least reported having an interest in community dentistry and dental public health (4%). A vast majority (97.5%) considered conducting research to be very important, and many of them (61.9%) were aware of research ethics and plagiarism, as shown in Table 1.
| S. No. | Questions | Responses | N | (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Do you know how to design research | Yes | 47 | 23.3 |
| No | 61 | 30.2 | ||
| Some idea | 94 | 46.5 | ||
| 2. | Was learning research a part of your dental curriculum | Yes | 141 | 69.8 |
| No | 61 | 30.2 | ||
| 3. | Why do you want to do research | To complete an assignment | 37 | 18.3 |
| To complete requirements for higher training | 60 | 29.7 | ||
| Personal interest | 46 | 22.8 | ||
| Motivated by teacher | 9 | 4.5 | ||
| Career path | 13 | 6.4 | ||
| Publication in journal | 25 | 12.4 | ||
| Presentation in conference | 12 | 5.9 | ||
| 4. | When do you want to start your research | Now, as a student | 119 | 58.91 |
| As a postgraduate | 73 | 36.15 | ||
| After my internship | 3 | 1.48 | ||
| student | 4 | 1.98 | ||
| After I am settled in my career | 3 | 1.48 | ||
| 5. | What specialty interests you to conduct research | Pedodontics and preventive dentistry | 20 | 9.9 |
| Prosthodontics | 33 | 16.4 | ||
| Restorative dentistry | 21 | 10.4 | ||
| Endodontics | 28 | 13.9 | ||
| Oral pathology | 17 | 8.4 | ||
| Orthodontics | 12 | 5.9 | ||
| Oral and maxillofacial dentistry | 41 | 20.3 | ||
| Community dentistry and dental public health | 8 | 4.0 | ||
| Periodontics | 11 | 5.4 | ||
| Oral medicine and radiology | 11 | 5.4 | ||
| 6. | Do you think research is important | Yes | 197 | 97.5 |
| No | 5 | 2.5 | ||
| 7. | Do you know what research ethics and plagiarism mean | Yes | 125 | 61.9 |
| No | 28 | 13.9 | ||
| Not sure | 49 | 24.2 |
Analyzing the experience of the participants toward the research, (Table 2) revealed that a significant fraction of the population (73.8%) did not conduct any research during their undergraduate course. Among those who had conducted the research, the majority (43.4%) were 6th-year students, and 54.7% of them had voluntarily taken part in the research. The majority (75.5%) gladly agreed that they enjoyed doing research. Most of the participants (28.3%) stated that the research idea was linked to a problem or a quest. More than half of the participants (52.8%) stated that they got support and help from their teachers while doing research. Around 56.6% were aware of the difficulties and pitfalls encountered while doing research and methods to solve them. Disappointingly, a very small fraction of the study participants (8.9%) had knowledge about scientific manuscript writing. Interestingly, the majority (89.6%) stated that they would undertake research in the future. The majority (79.7%) of the study participants had read a research paper published in journals. The majority (56.4%) had never come across the oral presentation of a research paper. A higher number of participants (90.1%) were interested in doing postgraduation, and 49.5% of them wanted to be a clinician, academicians, and a researcher in the future.
| S. No. | Questions | Responses | N | (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Did you do any research during your undergraduate course | Yes | 53 | 26.2 |
| No | 149 | 73.8 | ||
| In which year of study | 4th year | 7 | 13.2 | |
| 5th year | 14 | 26.4 | ||
| 6th year | 23 | 43.4 | ||
| Intern | 9 | 17 | ||
| Was the research voluntary | Yes | 29 | 54.7 | |
| No | 24 | 45.3 | ||
| Did you enjoy doing the research | Yes | 40 | 75.5 | |
| No | 13 | 24.5 | ||
| What was your research idea linked to | Favorite specialist | 12 | 22.64 | |
| Favorite teacher | 6 | 11.32 | ||
| Something you were | 7 | 13.22 | ||
| Problem or a quest | 15 | 28.3 | ||
| Something you read | 5 | 9.43 | ||
| Got the idea first | 8 | 15.09 | ||
| Did you get support and help from your teachers while doing research | Yes | 28 | 52.8 | |
| No | 14 | 26.4 | ||
| Partial support | 10 | 18.8 | ||
| Do you know what difficulties and pitfalls you may encounter in your research and how to solve them | Yes | 30 | 56.6 | |
| No | 4 | 7.6 | ||
| Not sure | 19 | 35.8 | ||
| 2. | Do you know how to write a scientific manuscript | Yes | 18 | 8.9 |
| No | 84 | 41.6 | ||
| Maybe I can try | 89 | 44.1 | ||
| I always thought that the supervisor must write it | 11 | 5.4 | ||
| 3. | Do you think you will do research in future | Yes | 181 | 89.6 |
| No | 6 | 3.0 | ||
| Not sure | 15 | 7.4 | ||
| 4. | Have you ever read a research paper, or a paper published in a journal | Yes | 161 | 79.7 |
| No | 41 | 20.3 | ||
| 5. | Have you ever heard a research paper orally presented | Yes | 88 | 43.6 |
| No | 114 | 56.4 | ||
| 6. | Would you like to do postgraduation | Yes | 182 | 90.1 |
| No | 20 | 9.9 | ||
| 7. | What would you prefer to be in the future | Pure researcher | 13 | 6.4 |
| Pure clinician | 64 | 31.7 | ||
| Clinician academician and a researcher | 100 | 49.5 | ||
| I just want a 9–5 job | 25 | 12.4 |
DISCUSSION
In the future, the importance of research in healthcare is likely to become increasingly significant as healthcare practitioners must make informed decisions based on reliable scientific evidence.11 The ultimate goal of undergraduate education is to equip students with the knowledge and skills required to provide safe and effective patient care. Given that research is a crucial element in advancing and upgrading the healthcare system, it is essential that undergraduate students possess adequate knowledge, a positive attitude, and acceptable research skills.12 This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and research experience of undergraduate students at Jazan University. Results of the current study revealed that participants had adequate knowledge of research, and most of them were aware of the importance of research in their curriculum, which was in accordance with the study conducted by Grossman and Naidoo.13 In another study conducted in Saudi Arabia, Alkahtani14 explored the career aspirations of participants, revealing that the vast majority of them were interested in becoming a clinician, academicians, and researchers in the future. Our study produced similar findings, with nearly half of the participants indicating a desire to pursue those same career paths. However, these results differ from those reported by Harsha Kumar et al.,15 who noticed that the vast majority of medical students felt that a career in research would not be worthwhile, either monetarily or in terms of social status.
Our study found that the majority of participants were knowledgeable about research ethics and plagiarism, which contrasts with the low percentage of students who possessed such knowledge in the study conducted by Alkahtani.14 Additionally, most of our participants enjoyed conducting research, while a study conducted among dental students in South Africa13 revealed that they had less of an interest in research in general and that they did not appreciate the experience of doing research. Similarly, a study conducted in Saudi Arabia14 found that a very small percentage of dental graduates knew how to write a scientific manuscript, which is consistent with our findings. While Alkahtani14 reported that several participants preferred to conduct research studies in the field of pediatric and preventive dentistry, in our study, many participants showed interest in conducting research in the specialty of oral and maxillofacial dentistry.
During a global dental education congress in September 2007, it was recommended that some level of research requirement should be a standard part of undergraduate curriculums. However, the medical field is currently facing a shortage of health research scientists on a global scale, which could hinder advancements in evidence-based clinical practice if not addressed.16 Brazilian universities are addressing this issue by including UR in their medical curriculum discussions, with some already incorporating it into their courses. UR is widely recognized as a valuable approach to training innovative dental researchers, providing undergraduates with essential “basic research” skills that are necessary for solving scientific problems and making academic breakthroughs. With the support of government policy and funding, UR has become a significant focus in dental education.17
Undergraduate dental students may face various obstacles that discourage them from engaging in research activities. Some examples of these difficulties include a curriculum that is excessively demanding, a lack of exposure to research possibilities, insufficient abilities in performing literature searches, a lack of information about research, and the inability to find a mentor for research supervision.17 To encourage undergraduate dental students to pursue research, it is important to educate them about the value of research in discovering new methods, techniques, and approaches. Dental schools can play a crucial role in promoting research and producing practitioners who are scientifically oriented. In some countries, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds struggle to obtain scholarships to support their studies. Students in Saudi Arabia are fortunate in that there are several alternatives for them to pursue graduate-level education, and a variety of scholarship programs are also available to provide financial assistance for those pursuing postgraduate degrees.18,19
To interpret the findings of this study, it is important to consider its strengths and limitations. The data was collected from a homogenized population using prevalidated tools to assess knowledge and attitude. However, as the study was a cross-sectional one mainly involving dental students from Jazan University, it is not appropriate to generalize the findings to other countries.
Additionally, comprehensive research studies are needed across various dental schools throughout the country to thoroughly investigate the subject of research and determine undergraduate students’ knowledge and attitudes toward it. Inadequate research supervisors, inadequate financing, the high expense of dental school, and poor time management are some of the reasons that restrict research among dental students. These problems demand thorough review and more attention. Finding effective ways to motivate dental students to participate in research is crucial. One way to do this is by providing an environment and resources that encourage research activities, and faculty should offer guidance, support, and motivation to students to engage in research.
In summary, promoting a culture of research among dental students is vital to improving their understanding and attitude toward research. Overcoming the challenges and fostering a research-supportive atmosphere can encourage more dental students to engage in research, leading to new discoveries and advancements in the field of dental research.
CONCLUSION
This study shows that dental students at the University of Jazan demonstrated a keen interest and aptitude for research, with a supportive environment in the College of Dentistry. Despite acknowledging the value of research in education, the study found that very few students actually pursued research. The findings underscore the need to make research a mandatory component of the coursework in order to engage students in the research process. In order to promote a good attitude toward scientific research and to acknowledge the essential role that research plays in dentistry education, it is essential to encourage critical thinking and reasoning among undergraduate students.
ORCID
Satish Vishwanathaiah https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8376-297X
Prabhadevi C Maganur https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0959-2597
Maimonah A Alali https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9518-7877
Amani M Muyidi https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8341-6834
Noor E Jaferi https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0608-7377
Bashair M Wasli https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9255-978X
Mada A Hamzi https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3996-9340
Atlal H Hussain Jaafari https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2580-6006
Varsha Manoharan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8409-5996
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