Background: Educational Climate (EC) may determine teacher and student behaviour. Our aim was to evaluate EC longitudinally in a period of 'curricular transition' from traditional (teacher-centred learning) to Bologna curricula (interactive student-centred learning).
Methods: The 'Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure' (DREEM) questionnaire was completed by 397 students from a Spanish School of Dentistry. Students' perception was assessed in different courses and academic years.
Results: The overall EC scale average was 115.70 ± 20.20 (57.85%) and all domain values showed a percentage >52%, which were interpreted as 'positive and acceptable'. The EC mean was: 118.02 ± 17.37 (59.01%) for 2010-2011; 116.46 ± 19.79 (58.23%) for 2013-2014; 115.60 ± 21.93 (57.80%) for 2014-2015; 112.02 ± 22.28 (56.01%) for 2015-2016, interpreted as 'more positive than negative EC'. The worst Learning domain scores corresponded to later academic years and may reflect the Bologna curriculum's more intensive clinical training involving greater responsibility and self-learning.
Conclusions: EC and its domains were perceived more positively than negatively. The Social domain was the most positively evaluated, while the Learning domain was the worst.
Keywords: DREEM scale; dental education; dental students; dentistry; educational climate.