developing research in dental education

September 2004 ADEE Cardiff Nikos Mattheos

Developing ResearchDeveloping Research in Dental Educationin Dental Education

Nikos MattheosCentre for Educational Research and Technology in Oral HealthMalmö University

http://www.mah.se/


Developing ResearchDeveloping Research in Dental Educationin Dental EducationDentistryDentistryEducationEducation

ResearchResearch


Research Research is about is about

decision makingdecision making


Research is the critical factor to point the directionResearch is the critical factor to point the direction

learninlearningg assessmentassessment

administrationadministration

planningplanning

teachinteachingg


The role of universities The role of universities in the Europe of knowledge: in the Europe of knowledge:

source: http://europa.eu.int/scadplus/leg/en/cha/c11067.htmsource: http://europa.eu.int/scadplus/leg/en/cha/c11067.htm

- Emergence of new expectations:“Universities must cater for new needs in education and training which stem from the knowledge based economy and society”.”.

- Reorganisation of knowledge: “move beyond traditional teaching strategies and educational systems”


Well informed decisions Well informed decisions Evidence Based DentistryEvidence Based Dentistry


“ doceo - docui – doctum” to instruct, to teach

teacherteacherdoctodoctorr


Educational Research:Educational Research:

- Not enough data?- Not enough data? - Not valid enough ?- Not valid enough ?

AttitudesAttitudes - Not enough emphasis on education?- Not enough emphasis on education?- Learning is …different ?- Learning is …different ?


- Eur J Dent Educ - J Dent Educ

- Med Educ - Acad Med - Med Teach - Teach Learn Med

- ... .. .

- IADR, Educational Division - FDI, Educators programme

- ADEE - Dented, Dented Evolves

Educational Research:Educational Research:Not enough data?Not enough data?

JournalJournalss

ForaFora


” [...] Much of the educational research does not make a serious contribution to fundamental theory or knowledge, is irrelevant to practice, is uncoordinated with any preceding and follow up researh”

[...] Lines of research are abandoned when there is a change in fashion rather than because problems have been solved”.

source: Teaching as a Research Based Profession, Hargreaves D., (lecture at TTA) source: Teaching as a Research Based Profession, Hargreaves D., (lecture at TTA) UK, 1996 UK, 1996


Not good enough ?Not good enough ?

Prof. D. Hargreaves, 1996: Prof. D. Hargreaves, 1996:

http://www.tta.gov.uk/




” [...] Finally, there were no examples of replication of research found. There were only rare examples of critical challenges to earlier work. The picture emerged of researchers doing their research largely in a vacuum, unnoticed and unheeded [...]”.

”[...] The problem is not the quality of educational research, but its isolation”.

source: Educational Research, a critique. Tooley J, Darby D. OFSTED 1998, UK. source: Educational Research, a critique. Tooley J, Darby D. OFSTED 1998, UK.

Tooley and Darby, 1998: Tooley and Darby, 1998:

September 2004 ADEE Cardiff Nikos Mattheossource: Teaching as a Research Based Profession, Hargreaves D., (lecture at TTA) source: Teaching as a Research Based Profession, Hargreaves D., (lecture at TTA) UK, 1996 UK, 1996

- less cummulative, less coordinated

- carried out by non-practicioners

- affected by ”fashions”

- contributes little to practice




Research on Research on Dental Dental Education: Education:

- weaker meta-research- weaker meta-research

- lower interrelation - fewer collaboration - ”uncalibrated” efforts

--



- pragmatic, practice relevant - carried out by practicioners

++


meta-research: meta-research: - systematic reviews - research evaluation consortia- best practices - guidelines






meta-research difficulties: meta-research difficulties: - low interrelation makes it difficult to draw valid conclusions

-much of the meta-research is conducted by individual, appointed researchers.

”Not Invented Here” syndrome.


Educational Research:Educational Research: Learning is …different ?Learning is …different ?

……science of science of healinghealing

……art of teachingart of teaching

well studied well studied doctordoctor

charismatic teachercharismatic teacher


Learning is also a Learning is also a biologicalbiological process !!! process !!!

Educational Research:Educational Research: Learning is …different ?Learning is …different ?


”There is a reason for everything”.

Chris Levi, Caribbean poet

...”If you can’t find a reason for something, there is a reason for that”.


Learning - Learning - InflammationInflammation- resources- resources- callibration- callibration- collaboration- collaboration- organisation - organisation of knowledgeof knowledge

Learning as a Learning as a biological biological process process


Human genome Human genome project:project:

identifying 30.000 genes in human DNA- 1990 - 2005

- many international multidisciplinary centres - thousands involved- goal oriented callibration- loose coordination


“We know much more on how to improve diapers, than how to improve the use of our brain”.

Marc Prensky, American researcher


- active collaboration - active collaboration - greater interrelation- greater interrelation- emphasis on meta research- emphasis on meta research- wider dissemination- wider dissemination

Developing Strategies Developing Strategies in Dental Educationin Dental Education

Keywords: Keywords:


- scholarship of discovery scholarship of discovery - scholarship of integrationscholarship of integrationscholarship of application scholarship of application - scholarship of teachingscholarship of teaching

” [...] What we urgently need today is a more inclusive view of what it means to be a scholar – a recognition that knowledge is aquired through research, synthesis, practice and teaching”.

Ernest Boyer, 1997: Ernest Boyer, 1997:

source: source: Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate. EL Boyer. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement for Teaching, 1997.

Developing Strategies Developing Strategies in Dental Educationin Dental Education


Larger emphasis in the Larger emphasis in the scholarship of teachingscholarship of teaching

- pedagogic merit for academic development

- comprehension of educational research as part of any academic degree

- wider dissemination and use of educational research within academics


from researchfrom research projectproject

to to researchresearch environmentenvironment

movmovee


researchresearch project group: project group:

- incidental character- often based on personal enthusiasm- involvement lives as long as the project- gained precious experience is lost


researchresearch environment: environment:

- standing, long term structures- different roles and different levels of involvement- access to different expertise - strategic planning, executing research- interpretation of results into practice within the environment, consultation


……Virtual researchVirtual research environment environment

MEDCAL

MalmMalmöö

LundLund

Notre Notre DameDame

HärnosanHärnosandd

MilanMilanoo

BernBern

- PhD students- supervisors- researchers - expertise: education behavioural science IT & programming

- 2 MSc Thesis- 2 dissertations- 20 publications- 4 major funded projects

CopenhageCopenhagenn

http://www.mah.se/

http://www.nd.edu/


C E X !C E X !


CCentre of entre of ExExcellence:cellence:

Institution or network which can document within a specific field :

- extraordinary competence- long term engagement - potential significant contribution towards future developments


CCentres of entres of ExExcellence:cellence:

Increasing Universities’ excellence in research and teaching:

”This communication calls on European universities to identify the areas in which different universities have attained, or can reasonably be expected to attain, the excellence judged to be essential at European or International level, in order to concertrate in order to concertrate funding on themfunding on them to support academic research”.

source: http://europa.eu.int/scadplus/leg/en/cha/c11067.htmsource: http://europa.eu.int/scadplus/leg/en/cha/c11067.htm


Centres for Excellence in teaching and learning: - invitation to bid for funds. January 2004

- 315 million £ for 5 years315 million £ for 5 years- approximattely 70 Cexapproximattely 70 Cex- collaborative Cex encouragedcollaborative Cex encouraged

source: http://hefce.ac.uk source: http://hefce.ac.uk

Higher Education Funding Council for EnglandHigher Education Funding Council for England


The research NetworkThe research Network


The ConsortiumThe Consortium- strategic planningstrategic planning- meta research – disseminationmeta research – dissemination- guidelines - best practicesguidelines - best practices


tentative academic stafftentative academic staff

research environmentresearch environment

research networkresearch network

consortiumconsortium

- good comprehension of educational researh- some participationin relevant projects

- planning collaborations- project coordination- sharing expertise

- planning and execution of original researh projects-training of researchers-interpretation of research results to the local needs, consultation

- strategic planning- prioritising areas of interest- meta research- guidelines, best practices


teacherteacher

learner

learner

assessment

assessment? ? ? ?


Research in Research in

Dental Education is …Dental Education is …


… … a necessitya necessity

Halton Getty, 1960Halton Getty, 1960


……of large potentialof large potential


……CredibleCredible


……absolutely absolutely compatiblecompatible

with clinical dentistrywith clinical dentistry


……ExcitingExciting

...a few cm ...a few cm north of the mouth! north of the mouth!

September 2004 ADEE Cardiff Nikos [email protected]@od.mah.se

http://www.mah.se/

developing research in dental education

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