Teaching methodologies and pedagogical practices in dental course at Central Brazil

Changes in the labor market profile of the learner, speed of knowledge production and the realization of an inconsistency between vocational training and the provision of services to the community, led a revolution in higher education, particularly in the health area courses towards tailor the training for this new context. Curriculum guidelines systematized these needs and boosted curricular reforms and restructuring of the educational course projects. This fact determined the need for a new approach to practice teaching activity. This study focused on investigating the perception of teachers on the methodologies, teaching strategies and pedagogical practices employed in vocational training course in dentistry. For this, we used a qualitative approach. Data were collected with teachers through individual interviews, the analysis of these data was performed by means of Grounded Theory and having as support the WebQDA software. The teaching methodology used in the course is more traditional and teaching strategy is the lecture with slide projection. The active methodology of teaching and learning is still a challenge for teachers essentially the pedagogical limitations. Utilize these methodologies is to abandon the security that underpins the historical use of traditional methodology. This paradigm shift for teachers, involves facing the resistance of students and win their own. The teaching practice shows inconsistencies with the pedagogical course design regarding the interdisciplinary, integrating basic and clinical cycle, prioritizing use of active methodologies, comprehensive view of the patient and evaluation process. As regards the use of active methodologies is imperative to have teacher training and enlightenment of students. It is essential that these be used with discretion and are appropriate to the objectives.