Growth models for the progress test in Italian dentistry degree programs

In 2017, for the first time in Italy, the students enrolled in Dental Schools performed a Progress test. The results allow us to analyse the evolution of students’ abilities during the course years. Furthermore, we can evaluate the coherence of the learning pattern with the core curriculum. We analyse the results of the Progress Test with a mixed-effects growth-curve binomial model for the number of correct answers, using fixed effects for the topics and random effects for the universities. The learning trajectories for each topic are modelled via polynomials of time. Using the Empirical Bayes predictions of random effects, we obtain the trajectories for the Italian universities, which show substantial heterogeneity in the starting levels and growth rates. The results give insights into inequalities in the educational process across Italian universities to be exploited for planning interventions.