Educators’ perspectives for modernizing dental teaching competencies at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University-Saudi Arabia: a needs assessment study

Introduction: Learners are more likely to adopt new behaviors if interventions are planned according to needs assessment. Consequently, studies are required to analyze the perceptions of oral healthcare professionals prior to the initiation of a training program. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of oral healthcare professionals at Prince Sattam Ben Abdulaziz University regarding the current trainings for teaching competencies to identify and address critical areas for improvement. Methods: An online questionnaire was developed and distributed to oral healthcare professionals through institutional email using a secure Google Forms link. The questionnaire comprised of five sections: demographic information, feedback on previous training development programs related to teaching skills, and feedback on ‘self-rated performance’ versus ‘perceived importance’ on didactic and clinical teaching competencies. The feedback about the training delivery method was also included in the questionnaire. A Delphi validation method and Cronbach’s alpha were employed to evaluate the questionnaire’s validity and reliability. Upon collecting all responses, descriptive statistics were conducted to analyze the frequency distribution of the data. Results: Sixty-six participants completed the survey, achieving a response rate of 75%. In terms of the overall feedback on previous training concerning teaching competencies, participants assessed these as poor or fair, good, and very good to excellent at rates of 34–40%, 27–33%, and 27–32%, respectively. A significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed between self-rated performance and perceived importance in four out of seven items related to course design competencies, three out of seven items related to course delivery competencies, and three out of six items related to student assessment competencies. Face-to-face interactive group sessions training (85.71%) is the preferred method for delivery of the training sessions. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, the needs assessment identified areas of interest for teaching competencies that need to be prioritized at the College of Dentistry at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University. Priority is given to the assistant professors and teaching assistants for developing twelve teaching competencies. On the other hand, professors and associate professors identified seven competencies to be updated for their respective knowledge.