DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS, PROFESSIONAL STATUS AND QUALIFICATION OF TEACHERS IN THE SPECIALTY “DENTAL TECHNICIAN”

Abstract

     

The quality of higher education is one of the leading issues. Teaching and learning are two interrelated and interdependent aspects of learning. The training in the conditions of the higher medical school is an organized and purposeful process. The purpose of the training in the specialty "Dental Technician" is for students to master the basic practical activities that require independence and result from the diverse work in the independent medical and technical laboratory of dental technicians. The teacher is a key figure and a person responsible for achieving the goals of training in the specialty. Our goal is to establish the professional status and make a demographic description of teachers in the specialty " Dental Technician " (with a degree in the specialty) who teach in medical colleges in the country. To achieve this goal we used the following methods: sociological method-survey, we studied literature sources and regulations for training in the specialty "Dental Technician". The questionnaire is self-developed. Descriptive and graphical analysis was used to present the results. Men predominate among the teachers in the specialty in Bulgaria, and in general the teachers are a relatively aging group, with a long teaching experience and good pedagogical experience, which correlates with their age. Most of the people teaching in the specialty work under an employment contract with the educational institutions. We found that they maintain their qualifications by regularly attending postgraduate courses.