Summary
In the educational development of dental students, the ability to write scientific papers is considered an important skill. Evidence that assesses this skill in undergraduates is scarce. The aims were to evaluate scientific communication writing skills and establish their relationship of predisposition to self-directed learning, to socio demographic factors and to prior academic performance. Seventy-one students in their second year of dentistry developed laboratory reports in a scientific publication format. Instruments: pattern designed by the authors to evaluate the quality of the articles, Predisposition Scale Self-Directed Study Fischer, King and Tague validated in Spanish. In 15.5% of students achieved scientific writing in accordance with criteria. 66.2% and 91.5% of students achieved the introduction and development of materials and methods, respectively. In 9.8% were able to present the results achieved in relation to objectives, and only 7% of students presented relevant conclusions. Men (M = 5.23, SD = 0.54) showed better performance than women (W = 4.93, SD = 0.67), p <0.03, and there was no connection with the educational establishment, high school grades, college admission selection exam, and independent learning preparedness. The lack of ability to write scientific papers in dental students at the Universidad San Sebastián, generates the need to provide remedial actions.
KEY WORDS: self directed learning, scientific skills, dental students.
How to cite this article
CARRASCO, E.; FASCE, E. & PÉREZ, C. Self-direction and socio demographic and academic factors related to writing scientific papers skills in dental students. Int. J. Odontostomat., 7(3):365-372, 2013.
