Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Aims \nProfessionalism is an essential competence for dental professionals and must therefore be assessed in dental education. This research aimed to develop an instrument to assess professionalism within dentistry. \n \nMaterials and Methods \nThe work was conducted in three stages: \n1.\ta qualitative in-depth interview study, using framework analysis \n2. \tan assessment strategy was devised and panel tested using focus groups; \n3. \tan assessment tool was evaluated in a test validation study conducted in dental outreach placements. \n \nResults \nProfessionalism was conceptualised as the manner in which one reflects on and reconciles different aspects of professional practice and which demonstrates acceptance of professional responsibility. It is manifest in the manner in which work is carried out. It contains both tacit (self-awareness, awareness of others, trustworthiness, and ability to relate to context) and overt (vocational, altruistic, responsibility and accountability) aspects. \nPanel testing supported the face and content validity of the system. \nIn a cohort of 81 dental students, staff and student ratings were correlated, all item total correlations exceeded 0.66 and all alphas exceeded 0.95. The intraclass correlations of all domains exceeded 0.96. All hypothesised relationships between domains were significant but domain scores were unrelated to student age or gender. Domain scores correlated with teachers’ global ratings of students’ professionalism. \n \nConclusions \nThe assessment system is valid and reliable and should be implemented in undergraduate dental education. \n
Author: Sandra Zijlstra‐Shaw
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1529363169