title: Agreement Among Dental Students, Peer Assessors, and Tutor in Assessing Students' Competence in Preclinical Skills.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the level of agreement regarding assessments of competence among dental students, their student peers, and their clinical skills tutors in a preclinical skills program. In 2012-13 at the University of Edinburgh, second-year dental students learned to perform the following seven cavity preparations/restorations on primary and permanent Frasaco teeth: single-surface adhesive occlusal cavity; single-surface adhesive interproximal cavity; single-surface adhesive labial cavity; multi-surface adhesive cavity; multi-surface amalgam cavity; pre-formed metal crown preparation; and composite resin buildup of a fractured maxillary central incisor tooth. Each student, a randomly allocated student peer, and the clinical skills tutor used standardized descriptors to assign a competency grade to all the students' preparations/restorations. The grades were analyzed by chi-square analysis. Data were available for all 59 second-year students in the program. The results showed that both the students and their peers overestimated the students' competence compared to the tutor at the following levels: single-surface adhesive occlusal cavity (χ(2)=10.63, p=0.005); single-surface adhesive interproximal cavity (χ(2)=11.40, p=0.003); single-surface labial cavity (χ(2)=23.70, p=0.001); multi-surface adhesive cavity (χ(2)=12.56, p=0.002); multi-surface amalgam cavity (χ(2)=38.85, p=0.001); pre-formed metal crown preparation (χ(2)=40.41, p=0.001); and composite resin buildup (χ(2)=57.31, p=0.001). As expected, the lowest levels of agreement occurred on the most complicated procedures. These findings support the need for additional ways to help students better self-assess their work.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Foley is Senior Clinical Lecturer/Honorary Consultant in Pediatric Dentistry, University of Edinburgh Dental Institute; Ms. Richardson is Consultant/Honorary Senior Lecturer in Pediatric Dentistry, University of Glasgow Dental Hospital; and Ms. Drummie is Clinical Teaching Fellow in Pediatric/Restorative Dentistry, University of Aberdeen Dental School and Hospital. jfoley10@exseed.ed.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Jennifer I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.affiliation: Dr. Foley is Senior Clinical Lecturer/Honorary Consultant in Pediatric Dentistry, University of Edinburgh Dental Institute; Ms. Richardson is Consultant/Honorary Senior Lecturer in Pediatric Dentistry, University of Glasgow Dental Hospital; and Ms. Drummie is Clinical Teaching Fellow in Pediatric/Restorative Dentistry, University of Aberdeen Dental School and Hospital.
authors.forename: Gillian L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.affiliation: Dr. Foley is Senior Clinical Lecturer/Honorary Consultant in Pediatric Dentistry, University of Edinburgh Dental Institute; Ms. Richardson is Consultant/Honorary Senior Lecturer in Pediatric Dentistry, University of Glasgow Dental Hospital; and Ms. Drummie is Clinical Teaching Fellow in Pediatric/Restorative Dentistry, University of Aberdeen Dental School and Hospital.
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drummie
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003188:Composite Resins / Q000737:chemistry; D003442:Crowns; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000737:chemistry; D003737:Dental Cavity Preparation / Q000145:classification / Q000379:methods; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000145:classification / Q000379:methods; D003814:Dentistry, Operative / Q000193:education*; D004497:Education, Dental; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000293:injuries; D008297:Male; D008348:Manikins; D003765:Models, Dental; D010379:Peer Group; D011897:Random Allocation; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013335:Students, Dental; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D014082:Tooth Fractures / Q000628:therapy; D019231:Tooth Preparation, Prosthodontic / Q000379:methods; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D003188:Composite Resins; D003764:Dental Materials; D003723:Dental Amalgam
keywords: clinical competence; clinical skills; dental education; restorative dentistry; self-assessment