Assessing the Effectiveness of Oral Health Education: Large Versus Small Groups among Primary School Students in Watesjaya, West Java
Abstract
Insufficient oral health knowledge contributes to high prevalence of oral disease among primary school students. Large-group lectures are commonly used in community services but may not be the most effective learning method. Studies suggest that small-group settings foster better learning environments. This study examines knowledge changes before and after oral health education (OHE), comparing the effectiveness of large- and small-group settings. Fifty-three students aged 10 to 12 years were divided into two groups: Group A (21 students) received OHE in a large lecture-style setting, while Group B (32 students) received OHE in smaller groups of 4 to 8 students. A pre-test was administered before OHE session, followed by a post-test to assess knowledge improvement. Statistical analysis showed significant pre-test to post-test improvement in both groups (p < 0.001). The gain in test scores for group A (27.62+18.69) was greater than that of group B (17.50+10.47), which was also statistically significant (p=0.028). These findings suggest that OHE effectively improves knowledge, with larger groups showing greater score improvement, potentially due to factors such as group dynamics, the physical environment, or learning aids.References
Afify, M. K. (2019). The Influence of Group Size in the Asynchronous Online Discussions on the Development of Critical Thinking Skills, and on Improving Students’ Performance in Online Discussion Forum. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 14(05), 132-152. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v14i05.9351
Al Mulhim, E. N., & Eldokhny, A. A. (2020). The Impact of Collaborative Group Size on Students’ Achievement and Product Quality in Project-Based Learning Environments. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 15(10), 157-174. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v15i10.12913
Al Saffan, A., Baseer, M., Alshammary, A., Assery, M., Kamel, A., & Rahman, G. (2017). Impact of Oral Health Education on Oral Health Knowledge of Private School Children in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia. Journal of International Society of Preventive and Community Dentistry, 7(Suppl 3), S186-S193. https://doi.org/10.4103/jispcd.JISPCD_372_17
Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Kesehatan. (2019) Laporan Nasional Riskesdas 2018. Jakarta: Lembaga Penerbit Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Kesehatan.
Baiju, R. (2017). Oral Health and Quality of Life: Current Concepts. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 11(6), ZE21-ZE26. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2017/25866.10110
Carvalho Silva, C., Gavinha, S., Vilela, S., Rodrigues, R., Manso, M. C., Severo, M., Lopes , C., Melo, P. (2021). Dietary Patterns and Oral Health Behaviours Associated with Caries Development from 4 to 7 Years of Age. Life, 11(7), 609. https://doi.org/10.3390/life11070609
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Children’s Oral Health. Retrieved February 15, 2025 from https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/basics/childrens-oral-health/index.html
Ferreri, S. P., & O’Connor, S. K. (2013). Redesign of a Large Lecture Course Into a Small-Group Learning Course. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 77(1), 13. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3578326/
Global Burden of Disease Collaborative Network. (2016). Global Burden of Disease Study 2015 (GBD 2015) Life Expectancy, All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality 1980-2015. Seattle, United States of America.
Guarnizo-Herreño, C. C., & Wehby, G. L. (2012). Children’s Dental Health, School Performance, and Psychosocial Well-being. J Pediatr., 161(6), 1153–1159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.05.025
Ismail, F. (2018). Pengantar Evaluasi Pendidikan (2nd ed.; M. Astuti, Ed.). Palembang: Karya Sukses Mandiri.
Janus, M., Reid-Westoby, C., Lee, C., Brownell, M., & Maguire, J. L. (2019). Association between Severe Unaddressed Dental Needs and Developmental Health at School Entry in Canada: A Cross-sectional study. BMC Pediatrics, 19(481). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-019-1868-x
Kitsaras, G., Goodwin, M., Kelly, M. P., & Pretty, I. A. (2021). Bedtime Oral Hygiene Behaviours, Dietary Habits and Children’s Dental Health. Children, 8(5), 416. https://doi.org/10.3390/children8050416
Kurniawan, U. S., Akmalia, N. S., Novildan, N. H. S., Nugroho, D. A., & Puspita, S. (2023). Peningkatan Pengetahuan Kesehatan Gigi dan Mulut Anak di Dusun Botokan, Sendangrejo, Minggir, Sleman. Dental Agromedis: Jurnal Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat, 1(1), 1–7. https://journal.unej.ac.id/dentalagromedis/article/download/347/127
Maharani, D. A., Adiatman, M., Rahardjo, A., Burnside, G., & Pine, C. (2017). An Assessment of the Impacts of Child Oral Health in Indonesia and Associations with Self-esteem, School Performance and Perceived Employability. BMC Oral Health, 17(1), 65. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-017-0358-5
Mahboubi, Z., Pakdaman, A., Yazdani, R., Azadbakht, L., & Montazeri, A. (2021). Dietary Free Sugar and Dental Caries in Children: A Systematic Review on Longitudinal Studies. Health Promotion Perspectives, 11(3), 271–280. https://doi.org/10.34172/hpp.2021.35
Moynihan, P. (2016). Sugars and Dental Caries: Evidence for Setting a Recommended Threshold for Intake. Advances in Nutrition, 7(1), 149–156. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.115.009365
Nurkhalika, R., Samor, V. A., Lestari, Y. E., & Saddam, H. (2024). Edukasi Peningkatan Kesadaran Penyakit Menular Seksual pada Warga Binaan Lembaga Pemasyarakatan Perempuan Kelas IIA Way Hui BandarLampung. Jurnal Pengabdian Pada Masyarakat, 9(2), 388–396.
Park, S. A., Lim, J. N., & Lee, J. Y. (2024). Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Children’s Dental Care Programs: A Retrospective Study. Healthcare, 12(7), 721.
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12070721
Phantumvanit, P., Makino, Y., Ogawa, H., Rugg‐Gunn, A., Moynihan, P., Petersen, P. E., … Ungchusak, C. (2018). WHO Global Consultation on Public Health Intervention against Early Childhood Caries. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 46(3), 280–287. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.12362
Sarayuthpitak, J., Rodpipat, S., Ekgasit, S., & Ravizza, D. M. (2022). Effectiveness of an Oral Hygiene Promoting Program for Elementary School Students using a Smartphone Endomicroscope in Thailand. Journal of Health Research, 36(6), 1176–1186. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHR-12-2020-0657
Shabiralyani, G., Hasan, K. S., Hamad, N., & Iqbal, N. (2015). Impact of Visual Aids in Enhancing the Learning Process Case Research: District Dera Ghazi Khan. Jorunal of Education and Practice, 6(19), 226–233. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1079541.pdf
Shirahmadi, S., Bashirian, S., Soltanian, A. R., Karimi-shahanjarini, A., & Vahdatinia, F. (2024). Effectiveness of Theory-based Educational Interventions of Promoting Oral Health among Elementary School Students. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 130. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889- 023-17528-0
Sofi Nurmay, S., Yusransyah, Y., Chairan, F., & Adini, S. (2024). Edukasi Penggunaan Obat Antidiabetes saat Berpuasa Ramadhan di Panti Asuhan Hasanudin Pandeglang. Jurnal Pengabdian Pada Masyarakat, 9(4), 889–898. https://jurnal.unmabanten.ac.id/index.php/jppm/article/download/934/487/
Sousa, D. A. (2016). How the Brain Learns (5th ed.). Thousands Oak, CA: Corin Press.
Subedi, K., Shrestha, A., Bhagat, T., & Baral, D. (2021). Effectiveness of Oral Health Education Intervention among 12–15-year-old School Children in Dharan, Nepal: A Randomized Controlled Trial. BMC Oral Health, 21(1), 525. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-021-01877-6
World Health Organization (2017). Sugars and Dental Caries. Retrieved Feburary 15, 2025 from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sugars-and-dental-caries
Yussif. (2023). The 4 Major Classroom Management Problems. Retrieved February 16, 2025 from https://classroommanagementexpert.com/blog/the-4-major-classroom-management-problems/
