Toward a better understanding of dentists’ professional learning using complexity theory

Abstract

Like other health care practices, the increasing complexity in dentistry signals the need for a reconceptualisation of dentist professional learning. Professional dental bodies, at large, still privilege formal continuing professional development (CPD) provisions focusing on off-the-job activities despite growing evidence that much invaluable learning occurs through and at work. In exploring the two common dentist CPD approaches, this article critiques the narrow conceptions of learning inscribed in these frameworks, which are individualistic and acquisition oriented. Drawing on a vignette of dentists’ professional practice at work, this paper argues for a shift in discussion from an emphasis on which CPD models work best to what counts as professional learning for dentists. To flesh out these arguments, the paper proposes using an innovative conceptual approach through the lens of ‘complexity thinking’ and the concept of ‘co-present group’. Through this lens, the reframing of thinking brings out two key features of learning: Emergent learning cannot be specified in advance and much significant learning is typically beyond an individual’s learning. Given the learning potentials of group practice and group learning, the paper concludes with suggestions to support dentists’ lifelong learning at work.

Keywords:

• Dentist professional learning
• workplace learning
• professional practice
• continuing professional development
• group learning
• complexity theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Adeline Yuen Sze Goh

Adeline Yuen Sze Goh is a Senior Assistant Professor at the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education, Universiti Brunei Darussalam. She gained her PhD from the Institute of Lifelong Learning at the University of Leeds, UK. Her teaching and research interest in recent years has been learning in workplaces which stretches across a wide range of professional and vocational sectors. Her most recent publications include papers on learning culture approach to understand workplace learning in the Oxford Review of Education and on the concept of learning journey in the International Review of Education, UNESCO.

Alistair Daniel Lim

Alistair Daniel Lim is a full-time clinician currently based in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. Previously he was working in the UK mainly in the NHS and hospital-based services. He has been involved in training newly qualified dentists within the Northern Regional Deanery, England and within the Division of Primary dental care services in Ministry of Health, Brunei. His research interests are within restorative dentistry and dentist professional learning.