Eliciting Students' Knowledge and Perceptions of the Dental Technology Extended Curriculum Program at a South African University of Technology

While positive trends in the Extended Curriculum Program (ECP) pass rates are noted, there is minimal evidence on the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of ECP students’ experiences. This article uses the Hierarchical Model of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation aimed to elicit students’ knowledge and perceptions on the Dental Technology ECP at a selected University of Technology in South Africa. An exploratory cross-sectional research design within a quantitative framework was used. The 2018 students registered for the National Diploma in Dental Technology program completed a questionnaire, which was statistically analyzed. The predominant results revealed that the majority of the students managed the ECP course workload; found the handouts useful; agreed that the subjects were presented logically and paced appropriately; and online materials and activities were clearly structured, presented, and integrated within the ECP curriculum. Students’ extrinsic motivation was associated with the structural design and instructional delivery of the ECP curriculum. This is significant against the backdrop of new qualifications being implemented in faculty programs across South African Universities of Technology.