Page 133 - Demo

General discussion1317Future directionsTeaching staff at dental schools around the world encounter many challenges, such as shortage of resources, failure to fail (i.e. passing underperformance), and changing of generations of students, to name a few. Although the challenges may be similar among the dental schools, their staff deals with these usually all by themselves. As long as little is published on insights in relation to undergraduate education in Endodontology, staff may spend time and effort reinventing the wheel, probably often by trial and error. Although this thesis provides clues about the effectiveness of some teaching methods, the preferred expertise of supervisors, and the clinical experience that would be necessary for an effective undergraduate education in Endodontics, it is not enough. More research is necessary to point out which ways of teaching and learning Endodontology are most efficient and effective. Fortunately, a growing number of people shares the desire for drawing attention to education in Endodontology. The ESE supports both education in Endodontology and research on education in Endodontology, and luckily the number of publications on education in Endodontology is increasing. Not only established methods are being analysed, but also new tools for providing education in Endodontology are being developed and studied (Shao et al. 2016, Al Raisi et al. 2019, Hanafi et al. 2020, Reymus et al. 2020, Segura-Egea et al. 2021). The goal of undergraduate education in Endodontology – to prepare students for their jobs as dentist – should be kept in mind when conducting research, interpreting findings and making policy. The education should accomplish the objective that dentists are both competent and self-efficacious in Endodontics. Tools and methods should be complementary to accomplishing this objective, but not overshadow it nor become a goal on their own. For thorough insight, the development process both during undergraduate dental education of the student and following graduation of the novice dentist needs to be understood. Continuing research on education in Endodontology is not only important to improve insight, but also to remain up to date when situations change. Gained insights should naturally result in curricular changes to provide – or keep providing – optimal education. Annemarie Baaij.indd 131 28-06-2023 12:26