Browsing by Author "Masike, Kebiditswe Nana Martha"
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- ItemExploring dentistry teachers' perceptions and understanding of the teaching and assessment of the HPCSA core competencies in an undergraduate dentistry curriculum(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04) Masike, Kebiditswe Nana Martha; Volschenk, Mariëtte; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Centre for Health Professions Education.ENGLISH SUMMARY: In response to global calls for the transformation of health professional education (Frenk et al., 2010; World Health Organisation, 2011), Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) has emerged as a useful educational approach for equipping health professional graduates to meet the changing healthcare needs of the communities they serve. The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) adopted the Canadian Medical Education Directions for Specialists (CanMEDS) competency framework (Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, n.d.) in 2014, and contextually adapted it for undergraduate health professional education in South Africa (Medical and Dental Professions Board of the Health Professions Council of South Africa, 2014). Health Professions Education Institutions in South Africa are now required to incorporate the HPCSA core competencies into their curricula (Van Heerden, 2013). Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) has responded to this call and is currently reviewing curricula for all the undergraduate dental degree programmes (dentistry, oral hygiene and dental therapy) that are offered at the university. At present, undergraduate dental students at SMU are provided with a copy of the HPCSA core competencies document at the beginning of their studies. It is, however, not clear how the teachers in the undergraduate dental programmes at SMU understand and experience the teaching and assessment of the HPCSA core competencies. It is important that teachers are skilled to teach and assess the HPCSA core competencies in order to ensure that the competencies are effectively acquired by the graduates. This study utilised a qualitative methodology within an interpretivist paradigm to explore dentistry teachers’ perceptions and understanding of the teaching and assessment of the HPCSA core competencies in undergraduate dentistry training programmes at SMU. Purposive sampling was employed to select a study sample of 10 participants. Sampling criteria included dentistry and educational qualifications, teaching experience, and being full- time teachers in the undergraduate dentistry programme at SMU within both the clinical and classroom contexts. Qualitative data were generated by means of face-to-face, semi-structured individual interviews, conducted by the researcher. Interviews were audio-recorded with the consent of the participants. Audio recordings were coded and thematically analysed by the researcher, guided by Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six phases of thematic analysis. The findings of this study indicate that participants had varying perceptions and understandings of the teaching and assessment of the HPCSA core competencies within the study context, and brought to the fore the various barriers and enablers teachers experienced in teaching and assessing these competencies. This study highlighted the need for faculty development programmes focused on empowering dentistry teachers with the knowledge and skills to teach and assess all seven of the HPCSA core competencies, in order to adequately equip dentistry graduates to meet the healthcare needs of the patients and communities they will be serving.