Career progression is an essential aspect of dentistry today. Clinicians have a number of options when it comes to advancing their skills, diversifying their workload and increasing their earning potential. Those who are drawn to teaching and mentoring enjoy highly rewarding career development, while also gaining the satisfaction of guiding peers in their own professional journeys. To offer the highest quality teaching, it is important to create an excellent training environment.
Personally rewarding
There are many advantages available when an individual decides to teach others and share their expertise. Firstly, it allows clinicians to diversify within the professional setting, exposing them to new people and situations. Another benefit is the increased job and personal satisfaction that is afforded by sharing one’s knowledge with others.[i] Most dentists who get into teaching, lecturing or mentoring do so because they want to help shape the future generation of dentists within their chosen discipline. It is likely for these reasons that teaching is generally considered one of the most fulfilling career choices a person can make.[ii]
Another benefit of teaching is that it supports learning and development of the instructor, as well as the learner. Those in a position to mentor others will often have a significant amount of clinical experience and expertise, but interacting with new people will often ignite new discussions that further everyone’s understanding and perspectives on a subject. Peer teaching has been shown to help instructors consolidate knowledge and accelerate their own learning journey.[iii] Not to mention that moving into teaching can also offer career progression and boost income too.
Creating quality
For those who create courses and/or present training to peers, there are several factors that contribute to the quality of education delivered. The content and delivery of the course are two of the most important. Not only must relevant topics be covered in sufficient detail for the audience, but this must also be achieved in the most appropriate way.
For example, the benefits of hands-on training have long been accepted and utilised across healthcare.[iv] Studies have also demonstrated a preference for practical learning styles specifically among dental students around the globe.[v]
Group size and structure has an impact too, especially within a collaborative learning environment. For instance, both a dyad (two people working directly together) and quad (groups of four) approach leads to good learning outcomes, with dyad learning linked to slightly higher peer engagement and communication.[vi] There is also evidence to suggest that smaller overall group sizes are conducive to an enhanced learning experience for delegates.[vii]
Excellent teaching needs excellent facilities
Everything from the psychological to the social, cultural and physical settings should be considered in order to motivate delegates and support their learning.[viii] The aforementioned opportunity for hands-on experience and engagement with colleagues and instructors are crucial. So too is the development of positive relationships and rapport between teacher and learner.
Another important consideration is the physical environment. Training providers seeking to deliver world-class teaching need world-class training facilities to match. Research[ix] suggests that the quality of educational surroundings can influence student outcomes like achievement. There is also evidence to show that students pay attention to various details of their learning environment from the aesthetics of the room to the comfort of their working area and visibility of the lecturer or live demonstrations.[x]
Consequently, it is crucial to consider the design and layout of your training areas so that they may encourage collaboration and engagement among delegates and between delegates and instructors. If offering live surgery demonstrations or observational cases, it is equally as important to install the necessary video and display technology to allow all participants to watch with ease. Similarly, you’ll want colleagues to have access to leading equipment and materials so that they may learn new techniques with the best tools in the market.
The arrangement of furniture and dental equipment must also contribute to the overall aesthetics of the environment. Everything from equipment layout to lighting must be optimised for the most comfortable experience. For the best results, it can be hugely beneficial to work with experts in the field who really understand the needs of a modern dental professional training facility. RPA Dental is one such provider of world-class equipment, furniture and design support. The team has unrivalled knowledge of what it takes to build a state-of-the-art pedagogical environment, helping you create a stunning space in which to teach any number of technical or clinical skills to colleagues and students.
If you are stepping into a teaching role, or looking to present your own training courses, there is plenty for you to gain from the experience. To enrich colleagues’ learning and ensure the highest quality education, be sure to consider the course format, design and environment carefully.
For more detail about the solutions and services available from RPA Dental, please visit www.dental-equipment.co.uk, call 08000 933 975 or email info@rpadental.net
Author: Adam Shaw
My name is Adam Shaw, and I am the sales Director here at RPA Dental ltd. Married to my wife Michelle and with two teenage boys, weekends are mostly taken up with their sporting activities and social diaries.
Having started life as an apprentice engineer with RPA Dental some 24 years ago, I have seen the Dental industry change and evolve considerably since first starting with the company.
At 16, working as an engineer I attended college one day a week and after a four-year period completed my qualification in electrical and mechanical engineering. From here I spent 5 years in the service department until gaining promotion to a senior status, responsible for managing the team, running my own installation projects and keeping quality levels to a high standard.
Coming from technical background allowed me to understand the equipment specifications and fundamental surgery requirements in its entirety and offered the base line on which to move over to my commercial role in 2011.
Our emphasis has always been on service and support to our clients, and this has continued with our holistic approach to designing surgeries and assisting in an optimum workflow with our valued customers.
My role within the business now is to offer our clients the help and support required on various levels dependant on their individual needs, whilst working with our manufacturing partners to ensure our portfolio brings a complete and extensive offering.
[i] Usmanova, Nargiza & Yang, Jianhua & Sumarliah, Eli & Khan, Safeer & Khan, Sher. (2020). Impact of knowledge sharing on job satisfaction and innovative work behavior: the moderating role of motivating language. VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems. ahead-of-print. 10.1108/VJIKMS-11-2019-0177.
[ii] Indeed. 20 of the most fulfilling jobs (with duties and salaries). April 2024. https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/fulfilling-jobs [Accessed June 2024]
[iii] ten Cate, Olle & Durning, Steven. (2007). Peer teaching in medical education: Twelve reasons to move from theory to practice. Medical teacher. 29. 591-9. 10.1080/01421590701606799.
[iv] Robbins, Dale. (2020). The Effect of Hands-on Practice on the Skills Proficiency of Nursing Home Nurses. International Journal of Studies in Nursing. 5. 39. 10.20849/ijsn.v5i1.717.
[v] Abidia, Randa. (2021). A Preference for Hands-on Learning: A Cross Sectional Study Assessing Dental Students’ Preferred Style for Receiving Curricula. Journal of Communications In Healthcare.
[vi] Wang M, Jiang L, Luo H. Dyads or quads? Impact of group size and learning context on collaborative learning. Front Psychol. 2023 May 5;14:1168208. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1168208. PMID: 37213364; PMCID: PMC10196372.
[vii] Kara, Elif & Vlassopoulos, Michael & Tonin, Mirco. (2021). Class size effects in higher education: Differences across STEM and non-STEM fields. Economics of Education Review. 82. 10.1016/j.econedurev.2021.102104.
[viii] Rusticus SA, Pashootan T, Mah A. What are the key elements of a positive learning environment? Perspectives from students and faculty. Learn Environ Res. 2023;26(1):161-175. doi: 10.1007/s10984-022-09410-4. Epub 2022 May 7. PMID: 35574193; PMCID: PMC9076804.
[ix] Duran-Narucki, Valkiria. (2008). School building condition, school attendance, and academic achievement in New York City public schools: A mediation model. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 28. 278-286. 10.1016/j.jenvp.2008.02.008.
[x] Closs L, Mahat M, Imms W. Learning environments’ influence on students’ learning experience in an Australian Faculty of Business and Economics. Learn Environ Res. 2022;25(1):271-285. doi: 10.1007/s10984-021-09361-2. Epub 2021 Mar 29. PMID: 33814969; PMCID: PMC8005866.
