Clinical Continuing Professional Education in Dental Hygiene Practice Using Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how learning is facilitated in a dental hygiene clinical continuing education course designed using Kolb’s experiential learning model. This study assessed the effectiveness of an experiential learning model of continuing professional education (CPE) for dental hygienists. A complimentary one-day, six-hour, hands-on clinical dental hygiene continuing education course on ultrasonic instrumentation was presented to 25 registered dental hygienists. Twelve participants were interviewed in the two weeks following the course; these interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. Designing a CPE course using Kolb’s model of learning proved to be effective because participants reflected upon their past practice, were introduced to new information, and then were asked to develop an action plan to implement what they had learned.

Three findings emerged from the study. First, designing an interactive CPE format by taking the participants through their past, present, and future proved to be an excellent teaching method. Second, communities of practice played a crucial role in solidifying their learning. And third, there are barriers encountered when trying to implement what is learned from CPE programs when dentistry governs the practice of dental hygiene. This study concluded by presenting a series of recommendations to assist CPE providers in incorporating Kolb’s experiential learning theory into CPE courses.