Distance Education and the Shortage of Graduate Degree Dental Hygiene Faculty

Abstract

The profession of dental hygiene is experiencing an unprecedented faculty shortage in the US. To address this issue some hygiene programs are developing “homegrown educators” by recognizing and mentoring undergraduate students and encouraging them to pursue a graduate education. Another strategy is the use of distance education, in which the graduate student can practice full-time as a clinician or faculty member, would not have to relocate, and when learner-centered techniques are applied, there is no diminished knowledge base. To assess the students’ perception of the faculty shortage and determine their likelihood of pursuing a hygiene graduate online degree, an Internet mail survey was developed and administered to the summer registrants of an online degree completion class (N=29). The survey consisted of 20 items. The data sample consisted of 22 useable responses (76%). Data were downloaded from the WEB and manually entered into SPSS 10.0. The results indicated that the students were aware of the faculty shortage (100%). Eighty-six percent (N=19) of the students indicated that they would “pursue a graduate hygiene degree online to alleviate the faculty shortage.” Nine percent (N=2) indicated that they “might” pursue a graduate hygiene degree online. No student responded negatively to the question and one student did not respond.

According to the results of the present study, baccalaureate dental hygiene students are significantly aware of the dental hygiene faculty shortage in the US and would enroll in gradate hygiene programs via distance learning methodologies. This program format would address the personal concerns of future graduate dental hygiene students and the paucity of qualified dental hygiene applicants and faculty.