Active Involvement in Dental Education and the Way to Meaningful Knowledge

Abstract

While learning in clinical dental practice is a rich, complex phenomenon with the goal of producing a clinically capable dentist, dental education is based on the premise that students can develop into professionals. This short communication focuses on two of the main principles of learning: meaningful knowledge and active learning, as both are key precursors to other higher-level learning activities and have relatively straightforward and well-understood underpinning theories. This work also makes a number of assumptions to make clinical dental teaching more effective. The present work highlights that the underlying purpose of dental education goes beyond imparting knowledge, skills, and attitudes; it is also about developing a sense of identity. The dental curriculum must prepare students for the roles they will occupy in the future and guide them to become well-rounded clinicians as well as lifelong learners.