Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Assessment fit for learning? An exploratory study of assessment design on learner development in dentistry and dental hygiene(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Aldawsari, Eman Nasser; Dawson, Luke; Goddard-Fuller, RikkiAssessment in the clinical learning environment for undergraduate dental and dental hygiene students is essential in ensuring their competence and readiness for independent professional practice. Despite being the first dental hygiene programme established in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the structure and implementation of the clinical assessment and learning process at King Saud University follows a traditional approach and has not yet been critically explored. This research aims to explore how the clinical assessment and learning process is structured and implemented within the undergraduate dental hygiene programme at King Saud University, informed by insights from the University of Liverpool’s evidence-based approach. The study seeks to provide an in-depth understanding of both the opportunities and challenges within the current structure, with the ultimate goal of developing recommendations for improvement that support student learning and development. This research adopted a qualitative, constructivist approach using an exploratory case study design involving two undergraduate programmes: King Saud University and the University of Liverpool. Data were collected through document analysis, interviews with staff members involved in the clinical assessment and learning process, and focus groups with third and fourth year students. A codebook thematic analysis was used to analyse the documents, while reflexive thematic analysis was applied to the interviews and focus groups. Themes from both case studies were analysed separately and then organised into broader clusters. This thematic clustering enabled the identification of shared patterns and contextual differences across the two programmes, supporting a deeper understanding of how clinical learning and assessment are implemented and experienced. The research findings offer new insights into clinical learning and assessment within a non-western educational culture and highlight the integrative, context-dependent nature of the factors that influence effective implementation. By examining how assessment, feedback, staff roles, and cultural dynamics intersect within the clinical learning environment, the research underscores the importance of designing learning and assessment processes that are responsive to their broader educational and cultural contexts.2 0