Aprendizagem baseada em problemas: desafios na vivência clínica de discentes do curso de odontologia.

Abstract

Several health courses use active learning methodologies as a teaching strategy, positioning the student as the central subject of learning and the professor as a facilitator of this process. The objective of this study was to identify and understand the challenges experienced by students during clinical dental care.The project employed a descriptiveexploratory methodological study for data collection. Participants included students in the final semester of the undergraduate Dentistry program at the Faculty of Dentistry of the Federal University of Uberlândia (FOUFU), who were regularly enrolled in the discipline of Public Health Dental Clinic. This clinic provides basic dental care to adolescents aged 10 to 19, following the guidelines of the National Oral Health Policy within the Unified Health System (SUS).The sample consisted of 33 students, organized into three groups of 9 to 12 participants. Each group participated in three workshops, held biweekly on the same day as the clinic, lasting one hour each. The workshops were structured based on Charles Maguerez’s Arch Method, which is developed in five stages: Observation of Reality, Identification of Key Points, Theorization, Formulation of Solution Hypotheses, and Application to Reality.For data collection, a semi-structured questionnaire was developed by the researcher using the Google Forms platform, following the principles of the Altadir Popular Planning Method (MAPP) by Carlos Mattus. Students reported up to three challenges encountered in the clinic, classifying them according to importance (high, medium, or low), ability to address them (within, partially, or beyond their reach), urgency level (none [0-2], low [2-4], moderate [4-6], high [6-8], or very high [8-10]), and interest in solving them (yes or no). After completing the questionnaire, the challenges were collectively discussed, and one problem was selected by consensus for intervention.The quantitative data analysis identified four main challenges faced by students: Unequal patient distribution (14.14%) – Disparities in the number of patient appointments among students, affecting learning and clinic organization. Inadequate planning and administrative disorganization (19.19%) – Failures in communication regarding cancellations, scheduling, and delays, disrupting workflow. Management of dental materials (12.12%) – Insufficient guidance on the quantity and proper use of supplies. Inadequate infrastructure – Including sun exposure in clinical cubicles (11.11%), lack of chairs for accompanying persons (13.13%), and shortage of basic supplies. The most significant challenge, "organization of the workflow process," was classified as highly important, highly urgent, and of great interest to students in resolving it. As a result, this aspect was defined as the focus of the intervention. The study concluded that the research stimulated students' critical thinking abilities, reinforcing their active role in the teaching-learning process and contributing to the improvement of the organization of the dental clinic.