Dental hygiene student attitudes about benefits of baccalaureate degree and factors impacting entry-level program choice
No Thumbnail Available
Authors
Heather Reid
Issue Date
Type
Journal Article, Academic Journal
Language
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
<i>Abstract</i><br><i>Purpose/objectives: Although the bachelor’s degree is the entry-level degree</i><br><i>option supported by the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, the majority</i><br><i>of dental hygiene programs remain associate degree. The aim of this study was to</i><br><i>explore factors impacting entry-level program choice and examine attitudes and</i><br><i>perceptions of dental hygiene students pertaining to a bachelor’s degree (BS) as</i><br><i>the entry-level degree.</i><br><i>Methods: A cross-sectional survey research design was utilized with a convenience</i><br><i>sample of dental hygiene students (n = 429) from the United States and</i><br><i>Canada. The 33-itemsurvey had four sections: demographics, factors influencing</i><br><i>program choice, attitudes, and perceptions of a BS. Descriptive and inferential</i><br><i>analysis was used to explore the relationship between variables.</i><br><i>Results: The completion rate was 91% (n = 384). Factors that most influenced</i><br><i>program choice included: location (74%), cost (68%), and time to completion</i><br><i>(47.7%). Students with mothers who graduated from college were more likely</i><br><i>to rank time to completion as their number one factor (37%) (χ2[df2] = 19.6,</i><br><i>p < 0.001, phi = 0.33). Students in bachelor’s programs were significantly more</i><br><i>likely to believe a bachelor’s degree better prepared clinicians for duties required</i><br><i>in future practice and that the entry-level degree should be raised to a bachelor’s</i><br><i>degree (p<0.001). Whilemore students in associate degree program agreed there</i><br><i>were opportunities in education without a bachelor’s degree (p < 0.05).</i><br><i>Conclusion: Cost, time to completion, and location were the factors influencing</i><br><i>students’ program choice. While the dental hygiene profession advocates raising</i><br><i>the entry-level degree to a bachelor’s programs, less than 40% of dental hygiene</i><br><i>students supported this change.</i>