Assessing the Effectiveness of Oral Health Education: Large Versus Small Groups among Primary School Students in Watesjaya, West Java

Dwiyanti, Stephani
Octavia, Mora
Gracia, Isadora
Oktaria, Indriani
Tantra, Cornelia Tyara
Susanto, Alvira
Djiady, Audie
Santoso, Bryan

Jurnal Pengabdian Pada Masyarakat
Vol 10 No 3 (2025): Jurnal Pengabdian Pada Masyarakat

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.