Assessing the most important professional values in undergraduate dental education from the perspectives of educators

Assessing the most important professional values in undergraduate dental education from the perspectives of educators | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Assessing the most important professional values in undergraduate dental education from the perspectives of educators Ebtihaj Nafea This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6557807/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Purpose: Professional values shape the identity and ethical practice of dental educators. Understanding how these values are perceived can inform curriculum development and faculty training. This study examines the ranking of professional values among dental educators and explores differences based on gender and teaching experience. Methods: This cross-sectional study targeted dental educators from two … institutions. Participants ranked four domains of professional values: Self-Enhancement, Self-Transcendence, Openness-to-Change, and Conservation by their importance in dental education. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test (gender differences) and the Kruskal-Wallis test (experience differences), with post-hoc Dunn’s test for significant results. Results: Among 153 educators, 99.35% agreed on the importance of teaching professional ethics, though perceptions of institutional practices varied. Openness-to-Change and Conservation values were ranked highest, while Self-Enhancement values received the lowest priority. Male educators ranked Self-Enhancement values significantly lower than females. More experienced educators (10+ years) prioritized Self-Transcendence values over mid-career educators. Early-career educators (1–5 years) ranked Openness-to-Change values higher than senior educators. Conclusions: The study highlights the need to align educational strategies with professional values. Gender and career stage influence value perceptions, offering insights for curriculum development and faculty training in dental education. Dentistry Medical Ethics dental education dental students educators ethics values Figures Figure 1 Introduction Professional values have long been described in medical literature. Medicine and its subdivisions were historically known as noble professions with deeply rooted values and ethics. Medical literature has described long lists of important values that every professional should attain. Consequently, people have certain expectations for health care professionals. These values are closely related to each specific culture, as it has a great effect on the development of the general norms by population. It is crucial to identify the most important values related to both culture and profession. 1–5 Same in dentistry, professionalism is defined as a set of values and conducts that form the basis of public trust in dentists. 6 Despite this common conception, studies have shown that most unfavorable practices in medicine were caused by unprofessional behavior rather than lack of doctors’ skills and knowledge. As a result, there is a consensus regarding the importance of formal teaching of values and ethics in medical and dental education. Incorporating these courses early in dental curriculum is suggested to enhance the future of dental education 1,7–9 . The role of educators in shaping the professional patterns of their students was found to be important. It was argued that students are affected by their professors’ behavior more than their words. 10 11 Some efforts have been made to study the most important values related to dental education from the perspectives of educators and students. 1 However, most of these were not based on the interaction between the different value domains specifically formulated to be implemented to health care professions. To get a better understanding of the values in health care professions, Moyo et al 12 has developed a framework of values based on Swartz’s list of human values. 13 In this framework personal and professional values were categorized into four groups, see Figure 1. These groups are separated into two pairs of competing dimensions. The first pair is self-enhancement versus self-transcendence . The other pair is known as openness to change versus conservation . On one hand, values such as authority and capability are related to self-enhancement, which are competed by equality and altruism representing self-transcendence. On the other hand, openness to change, explained by critical thinking and intellectual stimulation opposes morality and safety, which belong to conservation group. Values that express more similar motivational goals are more compatible with one another and will lie closer together in the values structure. Conversely, values exhibit higher levels of conflict and will distance themselves from one another if they express opposing motivational goals. This framework stresses the dynamic interaction between the different domains to produce a specific behavior. Applying the framework would help in focusing on certain domains over the others. The results would help to direct the educational courses and activities towards enhancing the most acceptable values by the specific professional and public culture. The aim of the current research was to identify the most important professional values from the perspectives of dental educators. Differences in ranking were also studied among the different dental professionals based on their sex and length of their teaching experience. Materials and methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at two dental colleges in … Arabia, K.. and … Universities, between July 2024 and November 2024. Ethics approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee at … University (TUCDREC/240924/ENafea). An online questionnaire was purposefully designed to collect data for the study. The questionnaire consisted of three sections: Demographic Information: This section collected details about the dental college to which the participants belong, their sex, years of experience in dental education, and their dental specialty. Teaching of Professional Values: This section included two questions regarding the teaching of professional values to undergraduate dental students. The first question assessed the perceived importance of teaching professional values using dichotomous response options. The second question inquired about participants' awareness of ethics courses at their institutions, offering three response options: aware, not aware, or not sure. Ranking of Professional and Personal Values: In this section, participants ranked professional and personal values based on the Healthcare Practitioners’ Personal and Professional Values Framework. 12 The ranking process was structured to emphasize the interaction between the four domains of values, ensuring that participants carefully considered their relative importance. Participants were instructed to rank the domains of professional values based on their perceived importance in dental education. The ranking was conducted using a forced-choice approach, where each domain was assigned a unique ranking from 1 (least important) to 4 (most important). This approach ensured that participants made a deliberate comparison between the value domains rather than rating them independently. Examples of each domain were provided to ensure clarity. The rankings were analyzed to determine the most and least prioritized values among participants and to identify differences based on gender and years of teaching experience. The questionnaire underwent validation prior to distribution. Content validity was established based on the framework of healthcare values. 12 Face validity was confirmed by consulting six dental educators, who reviewed the questionnaire to ensure it accurately measured the ranking of professional values by dental educators. Feedback from this group led to amendments to improve the questionnaire. Dental educators at the colleges of … University and K.. University, both in … , were invited to participate. These universities share similar geographic and cultural characteristics, but their approaches to teaching ethics and professional values differ. At … Dental School, ethics and professional values are taught through a didactic, entirely theoretical, course delivered in Arabic to fourth-year undergraduate students. The course primarily emphasizes religious principles and their application to various aspects of life. Conversely, K.. University’s dental school offers an integrated, case-based and theoretical course tailored specifically to dental students, incorporating discussions of clinical dental cases. The online questionnaire link was emailed to all dental educators at both colleges in September 2024, followed by a reminder email. Quantitative data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics® and Google Colab®. Percentages and mean values were used to examine responses in relation to demographic factors. Cross-tabulation was applied to analyze participants’ responses. To examine differences in value rankings, Friedman test was used. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparisons between male and female participants, while the Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to assess differences based on years of experience. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. When significant differences were found, post-hoc Dunn’s test was conducted to determine which specific groups differed significantly. Results A total of 153 participants were included in the study. Table 1 summarizes the demographic information of the study sample. Teaching of Professional Values: Across the entire sample, 83.33% of participants indicated that their college had a specific course to teach professional values. However, 11.11% were unsure about the existence of such a course, and 5.56% stated that no such course existed. Among participants from K.. University, 84.33% confirmed the presence of a course on professional values, while 10% were unsure. Of those unsure, 90% had 0–5 years of experience in dental education. At … University, 25.80% of participants reported the presence of a course on professional values. In contrast, 55.21% were unsure of its existence, and 18.99% stated there was no course dedicated to teaching these values. Among those unsure, 51% had 0–10 years of experience, while 49% had more than 10 years of experience. Interestingly, 15% of T.. participants who argued that there was no existence of an ethics course had over 10 years of experience in dental education. Overall, 99.35% of the sample agreed on the importance of teaching professional ethics to undergraduate dental students. Only one participant, a male from T.. University, argued against the necessity of including a special ethics course. General Rating of Value Domains: The mean rankings of the four professional values were calculated to determine which values were most prioritized by the collective sample, see Table 2. To assess whether the differences in rankings were statistically significant, a Friedman test was conducted. The results showed a statistically significant difference among the rankings of the four professional values (χ² = 144.73, p < 0.0001), indicating that participants did not rank the values equally. In other words, certain professional values were consistently prioritized over others. Since the Friedman test indicated a significant difference among the rankings of professional values, post-hoc Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were conducted to determine which specific values differ significantly from each other. The results were as follows: Self-Enhancement was ranked significantly lower compared to Self-Transcendence (p < 0.0001), Openness-to-Change (p < 0.0001), and Conservation (p < 0.0001). Self-Transcendence was ranked significantly lower compared to Openness-to-Change (p = 0.0001) and Conservation (p = 0.0014). Differences Based on Sex: To determine whether there were significant differences in the ranking of professional values between male and female dental educators, the Mann-Whitney U test was performed. The results indicated a statistically significant difference in the ranking of Self-Enhancement values (U = 2439.5, p = 0.026), with male and female educators differing in their prioritization of these values. Female educators rated this value higher than the males. However, no significant differences were found for Self-Transcendence (U = 3320.0, p = 0.119), Openness-to-Change (U = 2746.5, p = 0.513), or Conservation values (U = 2911.0, p = 0.986). Differences Based on the Length of Experience: The mean rankings by the different groups of the sample are illustrated in Table 2. The Kruskal-Wallis test was performed to compare the rankings of professional values across the three experience groups (1–5 years, 5–10 years and more than 10 years). The results revealed significant differences for two professional values: Self-Transcendence values (H = 10.16, p = 0.0062) Openness-to-Change values (H = 19.66, p < 0.0001) This indicates that at least one experience group ranks these values differently. However, no statistically significant differences were found in the rankings of Self-Enhancement values (H = 2.65, p = 0.2658) or Conservation values (H = 4.25, p = 0.1196). Since the Kruskal-Wallis test revealed significant differences in the rankings of Self-Transcendence and Openness-to-Change values across experience groups, post-hoc Mann-Whitney U tests were conducted to identify which specific groups differ. Self-Transcendence Values A significant difference was found between educators with more than 10 years of experience and those with 5–10 years of experience (U = 2505.5, p = 0.0013). This statistical significance indicates that 5–10-year educators rated these values significantly lower than the most experienced educators (10+ years). No significant differences were found between more than 10 years vs. 1–5 years (U = 1090.0, p = 0.6222) or 5–10 years vs. 1–5 years (U = 479.0, p = 0.0830). Openness-to-Change Values A statistically significant difference was also found in the ranking of Openness-to-Change values (Kruskal-Wallis test: p < 0.0001). Educators with 1–5 years of experience assigned the highest ranking to these values (mean = 3.50), followed by those with 5–10 years of experience (mean = 3.35). In contrast, educators with more than 10 years of experience ranked these values significantly lower (mean = 2.68). Post-hoc comparisons confirmed that educators with more than 10 years of experience ranked Openness-to-Change values significantly lower than both the 5–10 years group (p = 0.0004) and the 1–5 years group (p = 0.0005). Due to the small number of participants from different dental specialties, a meaningful comparison between specialties was not feasible. Therefore, this comparison was excluded from the study. Discussion This study examined how dental educators prioritize professional values and explored differences based on sex and teaching experience. Understanding the norms and values that shape the culture of each profession is essential. Dentistry, as an autonomous healthcare profession, is characterized by unique values. The findings of the current study provide valuable insights into the factors that influence the perception of professional values in dental education. There was a general agreement among the study sample regarding the importance of teaching professional values. This finding aligns with existing literature, which emphasizes the significance of including dedicated courses on professional values in undergraduate curricula for healthcare professions. It has been argued that formal instruction in these values helps shape the behavior of future professionals. Understanding the nature of professional behavior is considered the first step in this process. 10 Despite the general agreement regarding the importance of formal teaching of professional values. It was argued that teaching these values is not a straightforward process. The process is affected by many factors. The people themselves, the organization or environment, and the background are all examples of these factors, which can affect the success of the process as a whole. 14,15 Despite the consensus on the importance of formal teaching, a portion of the study participants was unaware of the existence of such specialized courses at their institutions. At K.. Dental College, most of the educators who were unaware belonged to the group with minimal teaching experience at the institution. This could be a natural outcome of being new to the workplace. Notably, many of those unaware of these courses were from T.. University and had varying years of teaching experience at the institution. Surprisingly, some of these educators had over ten years of experience in teaching at this institution. Among those who confirmed the absence of officially taught ethical values, a significant proportion also had more than a decade of teaching experience. This hesitation among T.. educators to acknowledge the availability of an ethics course may reflect the negative conception of the course itself. Some educators expressed the non-existence of this course, despite their long experience in the institution. This result may reflect dissatisfaction with the course content provided to undergraduate students. Much of the content was focused on religious perspectives on general ethical conduct, with minimal emphasis on dentistry-specific issues. Additionally, the course is taught in Arabic, whereas the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) program at T.. University is conducted in English. This difference in the instruction language would indicate the marginal importance allocated to this course. The course's format may also contribute to its perceived shortcomings. It is primarily tutor-centered and lecture-based, which contradicts recommendations in the literature. Research suggests that teaching professional values should begin in the early stages of undergraduate education and continue in an integrated and progressive manner. Furthermore, instruction should not be purely theoretical; it should incorporate case-based discussions and practical applications in real-world clinical settings. 16 The results indicate a clear hierarchy in the prioritization of professional values among dental educators. Openness-to-Change and Conservation values were the most highly prioritized, whereas Self-Enhancement values were ranked the lowest. This suggests that educators collectively place greater importance on values related to critical thinking, intellectual stimulation, and maintaining traditions, while placing less emphasis on authority, capability, and personal pleasure in the context of dental education. The results of the current study indicated that values related to Openness-to-Change were rated as the most important in dental education. These findings might reflect the nature of dentistry as a profession characterized by diverse approaches and significant variation among its practitioners. Inherent differences in diagnoses and treatment planning among dentist have been consistently attributed to the unique perspectives and experiences of individual practitioners 17–22 . In undergraduate dental education it is not uncommon for the students to encounter differing decisions and opinions from their clinical educators. This variability can be a source of stress for dental students. 20,23 However, such discrepancies are widely accepted among dental educators, who often come from diverse educational backgrounds and dental specialties. Dental educators generally embrace these variations and adapt to them. 17 This is further supported by the results of the current study, in which most participants identified values related to Openness-to-Change domain as the most important in dental education. This domain of values encompasses accepting others' opinions and the ability to reconsider and adapt one's own decisions. Another factor contributing to these results may be the rapidly evolving nature of dentistry, which is marked by constant advancements in information, procedures, techniques, materials, and instruments. The preference for Openness-to-Change values aligns with contemporary trends in dental education, where critical thinking and independent decision-making are increasingly emphasized. 24–26 The educators in this study, who were university professors working collaboratively in interdisciplinary environments and actively involved in research, likely have a heightened awareness of the need to adopt values associated with openness to change. Conformation and safety domain of values is a significant category valued by most dentists. Formal dental education reinforces the development of these characteristics, which are integral to the profession. Unsurprisingly, adherence to conformity and safety is one of the defining features of dentistry. Dental students are specifically trained to follow regulations when diagnosing and formulating treatment plans for patients. One consequence of this professional characteristic is the prevalence of "ritual reasoning," a common approach in dental students' decision-making processes. 20,27 The results of the current study also highlighted the importance of safety and adherence to the rules, which fall under the Conservation domain of professional values. This was demonstrated by the high percentage of dental educators in the sample who ranked this values domain as the second most important to teach undergraduate dental students. Although the two previously discussed domains of values, Openness-to-Change and Conservation seem contradictory within Moyo et al.'s framework, 12 both appear to hold significant importance in dentistry. This finding may reflect a unique aspect of the dental profession. Dental professionals might tend to be open to change by accepting the inherent differences in this specific professional culture, but also sticking to the agreed upon rituals specifically known to the dental profession. Values included in the Self-Enhancement domain, such as authority and pleasure, are less frequently observed among healthcare professionals compared to other values. 12 This domain of values is also less presented in professional ethics instruments, as it contradicts some of the prominent professional values that characterize health professions. 28–30 The results of the current study align with these findings, as most participants rated this value domain as less important compared to others. In contrast, values related to Self-Transcendence received higher rankings from participants in the current study. These values include altruism, professionalism, equality, and morality. Our findings are consistent with existing literature on the common values that define healthcare professionals. 31 Results of the current study revealed a statistically significant difference in the ranking of Self-Enhancement values between male and female educators. This finding suggests that male and female educators may hold differing perspectives on the role of authority, capability, and personal pleasure in professional practice. However, no significant differences were found in the rankings of Self-Transcendence, Openness-to-Change, or Conservation values, indicating broad agreement between male and female educators on these aspects of professionalism. The higher ratings provided by the female educators to Self-Enhancement domain may reflect the cultural changes recently introduced in …, particularly through Vision 2030. This vision has implemented several initiatives to empower women and increase their participation in the workforce, leadership and societal development. 32 Male participants rated Conservation domain higher than female participants. Despite that in the current study this difference was not statistically significant, this characteristic agreed with the literature. It is argued that while men may show a strong inclination toward preservation in contexts of survival or protection, their tendency to engage in risk-taking often contrasts with a higher prioritization of safety. These differences are shaped by a combination of biological, cultural, and situational influences. 33–35 For this reason, it is advisable to adjust teaching of values according to cultural and organizational changes. 36 When comparing educators based on years of teaching experience, results revealed significant differences in the ranking of Self-Transcendence and Openness-to-Change values. Self-Transcendence values (e.g., altruism, equality, spirituality) were rated higher by the most experienced educators (10+ years) compared to mid-career educators (5–10 years). This finding is consistent with research on schoolteachers achieving a national standard of professionalization, which indicated that younger teachers exhibited a stronger need for achievement, whereas more experienced teachers demonstrated a greater inclination toward leadership and influence. 37 Similarly, studies in other professional fields have suggested that senior professionals tend to prioritize ethical responsibilities, mentorship, long term stability and societal contributions, aligning with the increased emphasis on Self-Transcendence values observed among the most experienced educators in this study. On the other hand, mid-career professionals are more inclined to personal development and self-improvement. 38,39 Another difference between the groups based on their length of teaching experience was observed in this study. Early-career educators (1–5 years) placed a stronger emphasis on adaptability, intellectual stimulation, and independent thinking, possibly due to their recent exposure to modern teaching methodologies and evolving dental curricula. In contrast, more experienced educators (10+ years) may prioritize traditional approaches and stability in teaching methods, leading to a lower ranking of Openness-to-Change values. Research suggests that professionals with more years of experience might exhibit lower openness to change due to established habits, routines, and reliance on traditional practices. They may also face cognitive or emotional resistance to adapting to new systems or technologies. Conversely, those with fewer years of experience are often more adaptable, as they are closer to their training, which frequently incorporates current advancements and methodologies and fewer entrenched habits. 40–42 These findings suggest that teaching experience influences how educators perceive and prioritize different aspects of professionalism, emphasizing the need for faculty development programs that accommodate the evolving perspectives of educators at different career stages. While this study provides valuable insights, some limitations should be considered. The sample size may not fully capture the diversity of perspectives across different dental specialties, and the study relied on self-reported rankings, which may be influenced by personal biases. Future research could explore the underlying reasons behind these rankings through qualitative interviews. Additionally, further studies could investigate how these values impact teaching effectiveness and student outcomes in dental education. Conclusions Educational approaches to teaching professional values should be tailored to the specific requirements and culture of each profession. Dental educators have identified key domains that are critical for educating students. While openness to change and conservation are often viewed as opposing concepts, both are significant in the field of dentistry. This finding may be unique to dentistry. Additionally, the importance of values appears to be influenced by factors such as gender, culture, and length of experience. Declarations Acknowledgements: NA Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethics approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee at … University ref. number: (TUCDREC/240924/ENafea). Consent was obtained from the participants and approved by the Ethics Committee at … University The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available on request. The author declares that she has no competing interests This research received no specific grant from any funding agency. References Alcota M, Manríquez JM, Cornejo-Ovalle M, Salinas JC, Catano VM, Ruiz de Gauna P, et al. Values related to professionalism in dental education at the University of Chile: Student and faculty perceptions. European Journal of Dental Education [Internet]. 2019 May 1;23(2):190–8. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12419 Martimianakis MA, Maniate JM, Hodges BD. Sociological interpretations of professionalism. Med Educ. 2009;43(9):829–37. Ho MJ, Yu KH, Hirsh D, Huang TS, Yang PC. Does one size fit all? Building a framework for medical professionalism. Academic Medicine. 2011;86(11):1407–14. Bringedal B, Rø KI, Magelssen M, Førde R, Aasland OG. Between professional values, social regulations and patient preferences: medical doctors’ perceptions of ethical dilemmas. J Med Ethics. 2018;44(4):239–43. Dash NR, Taha MH, Shorbagi S, Abdalla ME. Evaluation of the integration of social accountability values into medical education using a problem-based learning curriculum. BMC Med Educ [Internet]. 2022 Dec 1;22(1). Available from: https://sdl.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edssjs&AN=edssjs.CC6FD258&site=eds-live Trathen A, Gallagher JE. Dental professionalism: definitions and debate. Br Dent J. 2009;206(5):249–53. Acharya S. The Ethical Climate in Academic Dentistry in India: Faculty and Student Perceptions. J Dent Educ [Internet]. 2005 Jun 1;69(6):671–80. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2005.69.6.tb03950.x Bertolami CN. Why Our Ethics Curricula Don’t Work. J Dent Educ [Internet]. 2004 Apr 1;68(4):414–25. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2004.68.4.tb03758.x Sharp H, Stefanac SJ. Ethics Education in Dental School: Continuing the Conversation. J Dent Educ [Internet]. 2004 Aug 1;68(8):801–2. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2004.68.8.tb03825.x Seifouri V. Professional Behavior in Medical Practice. In: Amarin ZO, editor. Advances in Medical Education and Training [Internet]. Rijeka: IntechOpen; 2024. p. Ch. 3. Available from: https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.114111 van Mook WNKA, van Luijk SJ, de Grave W, O’Sullivan H, Wass V, Schuwirth LW, et al. Teaching and learning professional behavior in practice. Eur J Intern Med [Internet]. 2009;20(5):e105–11. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0953620509000053 Moyo M, Goodyear-Smith FA, Weller J, Robb G, Shulruf B. Healthcare practitioners’ personal and professional values. Advances in Health Sciences Education. 2016;21:257–86. Schwartz SH. Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. In: Advances in experimental social psychology. Elsevier; 1992. p. 1–65. Shakour M, Yamani N, Yousefi A. The Factors Affecting Teaching and Learning Professionalism Among Medical Teachers. Health Care Manag (Frederick) [Internet]. 2018;37(2). Available from: https://journals.lww.com/healthcaremanagerjournal/fulltext/2018/04000/the_factors_affecting_teaching_and_learning.11.aspx Mahajan N, Oza DJ. Perceptions of Dental Professionalism - An update. JIDA: Journal of Indian Dental Association [Internet]. 2024 May 1;18(5):28–33. Available from: https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=ba0868df-eed4-37e8-9f58-7869e86f2f18 Siegler M. A legacy of Osler: teaching clinical ethics at the bedside. JAMA. 1978;239(10):951–6. Bader JD, Shugars DA. Understanding Dentists’ Restorative Treatment Decisions. J Public Health Dent [Internet]. 1992 Mar 1;52(2):102–10. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-7325.1992.tb02251.x Nagpal D, Lai H, Gibson MP, Zeinabadi MS, Kornerup IM. Knowledge, confidence and clinical reasoning of dental students for diagnosing pediatric periodontal diseases. Global Pediatrics [Internet]. 2024;9:100229. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667009724000976 Bader JD, Shugars DA. Need for change in standards of caries diagnosis–epidemiology and health services research perspective. J Dent Educ [Internet]. 1993 Jun 1;57(6):415–21. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.1993.57.6.tb02767.x Nafea E. Clinical reasoning in dental students: a comparative cross-curricula study. 2015 Dec 9 [cited 2023 May 15]; Available from: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/30395/#.ZGJR0O3gWb8.mendeley Hoseinzadeh M, Motallebi A, Kazemian A. General dentists’ treatment plans in response to cosmetic complains; a field study using unannounced-standardized-patient. Heliyon [Internet]. 2024;10(19):e38205. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024142363 Renne WG, McGill ST, Mennito AS, Wolf BJ, Marlow NM, Shaftman S, et al. E4D Compare Software: An Alternative to Faculty Grading in Dental Education. J Dent Educ [Internet]. 2013 Feb 1;77(2):168–75. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2013.77.2.tb05459.x Nafea E. Stress among Undergraduate Dental Students [Internet] [Master of medical sciences]. [Nottingham]: The University of Nottingham; 2011 [cited 2024 Nov 25]. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335688060_Stress_among_undergraduate_dental_students/citations Thalakiriyawa DS, Dissanayaka WL. Advances in Regenerative Dentistry Approaches: An Update. Int Dent J [Internet]. 2024;74(1):25–34. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020653923001260 Liaqat S, Qayyum H, Rafaqat Z, Qadir A, Fayyaz S, Khan A, et al. Laser as an innovative tool, its implications and advances in dentistry: A systematic review. J Photochem Photobiol [Internet]. 2022;12:100148. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666469022000410 Yoon RK, Best JM. Advances in Pediatric Dentistry. Dent Clin North Am [Internet]. 2011;55(3):419–32. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0011853211000188 Khatami S, MacEntee MI. Evolution of clinical reasoning in dental education. J Dent Educ. 2011;75(3):321–8. DeLisa JA, Foye PM, Jain SS, Kirshblum S, Christodoulou C. Measuring Professionalism in a Physiatry Residency Training Program. Am J Phys Med Rehabil [Internet]. 2001;80(3). Available from: https://journals.lww.com/ajpmr/fulltext/2001/03000/measuring_professionalism_in_a_physiatry_residency.15.aspx Martin RA, Puhlik-Doris P, Larsen G, Gray J, Weir K. Individual differences in uses of humor and their relation to psychological well-being: Development of the Humor Styles Questionnaire. J Res Pers [Internet]. 2003;37(1):48–75. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092656602005342 Weis D, Schank MJ. Development and psychometric evaluation of the Nurses Professional Values Scale--Revised [corrected][published erratum appears in J NURS MEAS 2010; 18 (1): 70-2]. J Nurs Meas. 2009;17(3). Van De Camp K, Vernooij-Dassen MJFJ, Grol RPTM, Bottema BJAM. How to conceptualize professionalism: a qualitative study. Med Teach. 2004;26(8):696–702. ’Al-Hilali H. Empowering women’s involvement in Saudi Vision 2030 [Internet]. Misk. 2023 [cited 2024 Dec 1]. Available from: https://hub.misk.org.sa/insights/saudistories/2023/empowering-women-s-involvement-in-saudi-vision-2030/ Josef AK, Richter D, Samanez-Larkin GR, Wagner GG, Hertwig R, Mata R. Stability and change in risk-taking propensity across the adult life span. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2016;111(3):430. Galsanjigmed E, Sekiguchi T. Challenges Women Experience in Leadership Careers: An Integrative Review. Merits [Internet]. 2023 May 19 [cited 2024 Dec 1];3(2):366–89. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8104/3/2/21 Kraft P, Kraft B. Explaining socioeconomic disparities in health behaviours: A review of biopsychological pathways involving stress and inflammation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev [Internet]. 2021;127:689–708. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763421002219 Racko G. Bureaucratization and medical professionals’ values: A cross-national analysis. Soc Sci Med [Internet]. 2017;180:76–84. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953617301739 Hildebrandt SA, Eom M. Teacher professionalization: Motivational factors and the influence of age. Teach Teach Educ [Internet]. 2011;27(2):416–23. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X10001629 Stehr N, Grundmann R. Experts: The knowledge and power of expertise. Routledge; 2011. Hommelhoff S, Schröder C, Niessen C. The experience of personal growth in different career stages: An exploratory study. Organisationsberatung, Supervision, Coaching [Internet]. 2020;27(1):5–19. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11613-020-00634-y Jadhav ED, Holsinger JW, Fardo DW. Openness to Change: Experiential and Demographic Components of Change in Local Health Department Leaders. Front Public Health [Internet]. 2015;3. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2015.00209 Cherry K. How Openness Affects Your Behavior [Internet]. Dotdash Media, Inc. . 2023 [cited 2024 Dec 1]. Available from: https://www.verywellmind.com/how-openness-influences-your-behavior-4796351#toc-what-openness-means Igoe K. Change Management: Why It’s So Important, and So Challenging, in Health Care Environments [Internet]. The President and Fellows of Harvard College. 2024 [cited 2024 Dec 1]. Available from: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ecpe/change-management-why-its-so-important-and-so-challenging-in-health-care-environments/ Tables Dental school Number and percentage Sex Number and percentage Years of experience in the dental institution Number and percentage King Abdulaziz University 72 (47.1%) Females 72 (47.1%) 0-5 year 26 (17%) Taibah University 81(52.9%) Males 81(52.9%) 5-10 years 48 (31.4%) More than 10 years 79 (51.6%) Table 1: Demographic distribution of the sample, including counts and percentages for sex, years of experience, and dental college. Groups Self-Enhancement Self-Transcendence Openness-to-Change Conservation Female 1.611111 2.388889 3.083333 2.916667 Male 1.333333 2.666667 2.987654 3.012346 1-5 years 1.192308 2.615385 3.5 2.692308 5-10 years 1.395833 2.208333 3.354167 3.041667 more than 10 years 1.594937 2.708861 2.683544 3.012658 Collective 1.464052288 2.535947712 3.032679739 2.967320261 Table 2: Mean rankings of professional values across different groups in your sample (sex and years of experience). Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6557807","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":449783682,"identity":"82d6f52e-d6da-4d98-b710-3b17389c1d00","order_by":0,"name":"Ebtihaj Nafea","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABAUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFACHgZmICnHwMDYxsDYABJJIKiFsRlIGvOQrCWxh4GBjTgt5uxnjz8uqKlN389+uO3Bzx2HGfjZcwwYf9Tg1mLZk5fYPOPY8dwensR2w94zhxkke94YMPMcw63F4ECOYTMP27HcHobENgnetsMMBjdyDJiBjsSt5fwboJZ/x9J5+B+2Sf4FarG/AXLYPzxabgBt4W2rSeCRSGyTBtsikWPAwNuGT8u7xNm8fQcMe248bDeWbUvnkTjzrOAwbx8+h+Ue+MzzrU6evT/92cO3bdZy/O3JGx/++IZbCxQchrN4QMQBghoYGOqIUDMKRsEoGAUjFgAAAdFVGWpslSoAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6942-5603","institution":"Taibah University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ebtihaj","middleName":"","lastName":"Nafea","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-04-29 15:18:55","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":true,"vertebrateSubjects":true,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":true,"humanSubjectConsent":true,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":true},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6557807/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6557807/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":82165830,"identity":"40517cf8-f68e-4726-8c29-8d3420a75fbf","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-07 09:09:37","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":78628,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Healthcare Practitioner Values Framework\u003c/strong\u003e. Adapted from Moyo et al. (2016), the framework illustrates motivational goals positioned within quadrants of a sphere. Each goal encompasses a set of values, with those specific to healthcare practitioners indicated in brackets and placed beneath their corresponding universal values from Schwartz’s value structure (Schwartz, 1992). Values closer together exhibit greater compatibility, while opposing values reflect conflicts. An individual’s behavior is shaped by the dynamic interaction between these values. Source:(Nafea, 2024)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"figure1134152.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6557807/v1/80d07dc2f22cbbfbae4771c9.png"},{"id":82166896,"identity":"3e7afb46-fb51-42e1-bce3-a614e5cbf641","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-07 09:17:37","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":667504,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6557807/v1/76e0bdff-830b-41d8-a55f-b68fd1a04cc6.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eAssessing the most important professional values in undergraduate dental education from the perspectives of educators\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eProfessional values have long been described in medical literature. Medicine and its subdivisions were historically known as noble professions with deeply rooted values and ethics. Medical literature has described long lists of important values that every professional should attain. Consequently, people have certain expectations for health care professionals. These values are closely related to each specific culture, as it has a great effect on the development of the general norms by population. It is crucial to identify the most important values related to both culture and profession. \u003csup\u003e1\u0026ndash;5\u003c/sup\u003e Same in dentistry, professionalism is defined as a set of values and conducts that form the basis of public trust in dentists. \u003csup\u003e6\u003c/sup\u003e Despite this common conception, studies have shown that most unfavorable practices in medicine were caused by unprofessional behavior rather than lack of doctors\u0026rsquo; skills and knowledge. As a result, there is a consensus regarding the importance of formal teaching of values and ethics in medical and dental education. Incorporating these courses early in dental curriculum is suggested to enhance the future of dental education \u003csup\u003e1,7\u0026ndash;9\u003c/sup\u003e. The\u0026nbsp;role of educators in shaping the professional patterns of their students was found to be important. It was argued that students are affected by their professors\u0026rsquo; behavior more than their words. \u003csup\u003e10\u003c/sup\u003e \u003csup\u003e11\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome efforts have been made to study the most important values related to dental education from the perspectives of educators and students. \u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003eHowever, most of these were not based on the interaction between the different value domains specifically formulated to be implemented to health care professions. To get a better understanding of the values in health care professions, Moyo \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e \u003csup\u003e12\u003c/sup\u003ehas developed a framework of values based on Swartz\u0026rsquo;s list of human values. \u003csup\u003e13\u003c/sup\u003e In this framework personal and professional values were categorized into four groups, see Figure 1. These groups are separated into two pairs of competing dimensions. The first pair is \u003cem\u003eself-enhancement\u003c/em\u003e versus \u003cem\u003eself-transcendence\u003c/em\u003e. The other pair is known as \u003cem\u003eopenness to change\u003c/em\u003e versus \u003cem\u003econservation\u003c/em\u003e. On one hand, values such as authority and capability are related to self-enhancement, which are competed by equality and altruism representing self-transcendence. On the other hand, openness to change, explained by critical thinking and intellectual stimulation opposes morality and safety, which belong to conservation group. Values that express more similar motivational goals are more compatible with one another and will lie closer together in the values structure. Conversely, values exhibit higher levels of conflict and will distance themselves from one another if they express opposing motivational goals. This framework stresses the dynamic interaction between the different domains to produce a specific behavior. Applying the framework would help in focusing on certain domains over the others. The results would help to direct the educational courses and activities towards enhancing the most acceptable values by the specific professional and public culture.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe aim of the current research was to identify the most important professional values from the perspectives of dental educators. Differences in ranking were also studied among the different dental professionals based on their sex and length of their teaching experience. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Materials and methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at two dental colleges in \u0026hellip; Arabia, K.. and \u0026hellip; Universities, between July 2024 and November 2024. Ethics approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee at \u0026hellip; University (TUCDREC/240924/ENafea). An online questionnaire was purposefully designed to collect data for the study. The questionnaire consisted of three sections:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDemographic Information:\u003c/strong\u003e This section collected details about the dental college to which the participants belong, their sex, years of experience in dental education, and their dental specialty.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTeaching of Professional Values:\u003c/strong\u003e This section included two questions regarding the teaching of professional values to undergraduate dental students. The first question assessed the perceived importance of teaching professional values using dichotomous response options. The second question inquired about participants\u0026apos; awareness of ethics courses at their institutions, offering three response options: aware, not aware, or not sure.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRanking of Professional and Personal Values:\u003c/strong\u003e In this section, participants ranked professional and personal values based on the Healthcare Practitioners\u0026rsquo; Personal and Professional Values Framework. \u003csup\u003e12\u003c/sup\u003eThe ranking process was structured to emphasize the interaction between the four domains of values, ensuring that participants carefully considered their relative importance. Participants were instructed to rank the domains of professional values based on their perceived importance in dental education. The ranking was conducted using a forced-choice approach, where each domain was assigned a unique ranking from 1 (least important) to 4 (most important). This approach ensured that participants made a deliberate comparison between the value domains rather than rating them independently. Examples of each domain were provided to ensure clarity. The rankings were analyzed to determine the most and least prioritized values among participants and to identify differences based on gender and years of teaching experience. The questionnaire underwent validation prior to distribution. Content validity was established based on the framework of healthcare values. \u003csup\u003e12\u003c/sup\u003eFace validity was confirmed by consulting six dental educators, who reviewed the questionnaire to ensure it accurately measured the ranking of professional values by dental educators. Feedback from this group led to amendments to improve the questionnaire.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDental educators at the colleges of \u0026hellip; University and K.. University, both in \u0026hellip; , were invited to participate. These universities share similar geographic and cultural characteristics, but their approaches to teaching ethics and professional values differ. At \u0026hellip; Dental School, ethics and professional values are taught through a didactic, entirely theoretical, course delivered in Arabic to fourth-year undergraduate students. The course primarily emphasizes religious principles and their application to various aspects of life. Conversely, K.. University\u0026rsquo;s dental school offers an integrated, case-based and theoretical course tailored specifically to dental students, incorporating discussions of clinical dental cases. The online questionnaire link was emailed to all dental educators at both colleges in September 2024, followed by a reminder email.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eQuantitative data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics\u0026reg; and Google Colab\u0026reg;. Percentages and mean values were used to examine responses in relation to demographic factors. Cross-tabulation was applied to analyze participants\u0026rsquo; responses. To examine differences in value rankings, Friedman test was used. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparisons between male and female participants, while the Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to assess differences based on years of experience. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. When significant differences were found, post-hoc Dunn\u0026rsquo;s test was conducted to determine which specific groups differed significantly.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eA total of 153 participants were included in the study. Table 1 summarizes the demographic information of the study sample.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTeaching of Professional Values:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcross the entire sample, 83.33% of participants indicated that their college had a specific course to teach professional values. However, 11.11% were unsure about the existence of such a course, and 5.56% stated that no such course existed. Among participants from K.. University, 84.33% confirmed the presence of a course on professional values, while 10% were unsure. Of those unsure, 90% had 0\u0026ndash;5 years of experience in dental education.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt \u0026hellip; University, 25.80% of participants reported the presence of a course on professional values. In contrast, 55.21% were unsure of its existence, and 18.99% stated there was no course dedicated to teaching these values. Among those unsure, 51% had 0\u0026ndash;10 years of experience, while 49% had more than 10 years of experience. Interestingly, 15% of T.. participants who argued that there was no existence of an ethics course had over 10 years of experience in dental education.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall, 99.35% of the sample agreed on the importance of teaching professional ethics to undergraduate dental students. Only one participant, a male from T.. University, argued against the necessity of including a special ethics course.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGeneral Rating of Value Domains:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mean rankings of the four professional values were calculated to determine which values were most prioritized by the collective sample, see Table 2. To assess whether the differences in rankings were statistically significant, a Friedman test was conducted. The results showed a statistically significant difference among the rankings of the four professional values (\u0026chi;\u0026sup2; = 144.73, p \u0026lt; 0.0001), indicating that participants did not rank the values equally. In other words, certain professional values were consistently prioritized over others.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince the Friedman test indicated a significant difference among the rankings of professional values, post-hoc Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were conducted to determine which specific values differ significantly from each other. The results were as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul type=\"disc\"\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSelf-Enhancement was ranked significantly lower compared to Self-Transcendence (p \u0026lt; 0.0001), Openness-to-Change (p \u0026lt; 0.0001), and Conservation (p \u0026lt; 0.0001).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSelf-Transcendence was ranked significantly lower compared to Openness-to-Change (p = 0.0001) and Conservation (p = 0.0014).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDifferences Based on Sex:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo determine whether there were significant differences in the ranking of professional values between male and female dental educators, the Mann-Whitney U test was performed. The results indicated a statistically significant difference in the ranking of Self-Enhancement values (U = 2439.5, p = 0.026), with male and female educators differing in their prioritization of these values. Female educators rated this value higher than the males. However, no significant differences were found for Self-Transcendence (U = 3320.0, p = 0.119), Openness-to-Change (U = 2746.5, p = 0.513), or Conservation values (U = 2911.0, p = 0.986).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cstrong\u003eDifferences Based on the Length of Experience:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mean rankings by the different groups of the sample are illustrated in Table 2. The Kruskal-Wallis test was performed to compare the rankings of professional values across the three experience groups (1\u0026ndash;5 years, 5\u0026ndash;10 years and more than 10 years). The results revealed significant differences for two professional values:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul type=\"disc\"\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSelf-Transcendence values (H = 10.16, p = 0.0062)\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOpenness-to-Change values (H = 19.66, p \u0026lt; 0.0001)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis indicates that at least one experience group ranks these values differently.\u003cspan dir=\"RTL\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/span\u003eHowever, no statistically significant differences were found in the rankings of Self-Enhancement values (H = 2.65, p = 0.2658) or Conservation values (H = 4.25, p = 0.1196). Since the Kruskal-Wallis test revealed significant differences in the rankings of Self-Transcendence and Openness-to-Change values across experience groups, post-hoc Mann-Whitney U tests were conducted to identify which specific groups differ.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSelf-Transcendence Values\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA significant difference was found between educators with more than 10 years of experience and those with 5\u0026ndash;10 years of experience (U = 2505.5, p = 0.0013).\u0026nbsp;This statistical significance indicates that 5\u0026ndash;10-year educators rated these values significantly lower than the most experienced educators (10+ years).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo significant differences were found between more than 10 years vs. 1\u0026ndash;5 years (U = 1090.0, p = 0.6222) or 5\u0026ndash;10 years vs. 1\u0026ndash;5 years (U = 479.0, p = 0.0830).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOpenness-to-Change Values\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA statistically significant difference was also found in the ranking of Openness-to-Change values (Kruskal-Wallis test: p \u0026lt; 0.0001). Educators with 1\u0026ndash;5 years of experience assigned the highest ranking to these values (mean = 3.50), followed by those with 5\u0026ndash;10 years of experience (mean = 3.35). In contrast, educators with more than 10 years of experience ranked these values significantly lower (mean = 2.68). Post-hoc comparisons confirmed that educators with more than 10 years of experience ranked Openness-to-Change values significantly lower than both the 5\u0026ndash;10 years group (p = 0.0004) and the 1\u0026ndash;5 years group (p = 0.0005).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDue to the small number of participants from different dental specialties, a meaningful comparison between specialties was not feasible. Therefore, this comparison was excluded from the study.\u003c/p\u003e\n"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study examined how dental educators prioritize professional values and explored differences based on sex and teaching experience. Understanding the norms and values that shape the culture of each profession is essential. Dentistry, as an autonomous healthcare profession, is characterized by unique values. The findings of the current study provide valuable insights into the factors that influence the perception of professional values in dental education.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was a general agreement among the study sample regarding the importance of teaching professional values. This finding aligns with existing literature, which emphasizes the significance of including dedicated courses on professional values in undergraduate curricula for healthcare professions. It has been argued that formal instruction in these values helps shape the behavior of future professionals. Understanding the nature of professional behavior is considered the first step in this process. \u003csup\u003e10\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Despite the general agreement regarding the importance of formal teaching of professional values. It was argued that teaching these values is not a straightforward process. The process is affected by many factors. The people themselves, the organization or environment, and the background are all examples of these factors, which can affect the success of the process as a whole. \u003csup\u003e14,15\u003c/sup\u003eDespite the consensus on the importance of formal teaching, a portion of the study participants was unaware of the existence of such specialized courses at their institutions. At K.. Dental College, most of the educators who were unaware belonged to the group with minimal teaching experience at the institution. This could be a natural outcome of being new to the workplace. Notably, many of those unaware of these courses were from T.. University and had varying years of teaching experience at the institution. Surprisingly, some of these educators had over ten years of experience in teaching at this institution. Among those who confirmed the absence of officially taught ethical values, a significant proportion also had more than a decade of teaching experience. This hesitation among T.. educators to acknowledge the availability of an ethics course may reflect the negative conception of the course itself. Some educators expressed the non-existence of this course, despite their long experience in the institution. This result may reflect dissatisfaction with the course content provided to undergraduate students. Much of the content was focused on religious perspectives on general ethical conduct, with minimal emphasis on dentistry-specific issues. Additionally, the course is taught in Arabic, whereas the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) program at T.. University is conducted in English. This difference in the instruction language would indicate the marginal importance allocated to this course.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe course\u0026apos;s format may also contribute to its perceived shortcomings. It is primarily tutor-centered and lecture-based, which contradicts recommendations in the literature. Research suggests that teaching professional values should begin in the early stages of undergraduate education and continue in an integrated and progressive manner. Furthermore, instruction should not be purely theoretical; it should incorporate case-based discussions and practical applications in real-world clinical settings. \u003csup\u003e16\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe results indicate a clear hierarchy in the prioritization of professional values among dental educators. Openness-to-Change and Conservation values were the most highly prioritized, whereas Self-Enhancement values were ranked the lowest. This suggests that educators collectively place greater importance on values related to critical thinking, intellectual stimulation, and maintaining traditions, while placing less emphasis on authority, capability, and personal pleasure in the context of dental education.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe results of the current study indicated that values related to Openness-to-Change were rated as the most important in dental education. These findings might reflect the nature of dentistry as a profession characterized by diverse approaches and significant variation among its practitioners. Inherent differences in diagnoses and treatment planning among dentist have been consistently attributed to the unique perspectives and experiences of individual practitioners \u003csup\u003e17\u0026ndash;22\u003c/sup\u003e. In undergraduate dental education it is not uncommon for the students to encounter differing decisions and opinions from their clinical educators. This variability can be a source of stress for dental students.\u003csup\u003e20,23\u003c/sup\u003e However, such discrepancies are widely accepted among dental educators, who often come from diverse educational backgrounds and dental specialties. Dental educators generally embrace these variations and adapt to them. \u003csup\u003e17\u003c/sup\u003eThis is further supported by the results of the current study, in which most participants identified values related to Openness-to-Change domain as the most important in dental education. This domain of values encompasses accepting others\u0026apos; opinions and the ability to reconsider and adapt one\u0026apos;s own decisions. Another factor contributing to these results may be the rapidly evolving nature of dentistry, which is marked by constant advancements in information, procedures, techniques, materials, and instruments.\u0026nbsp;The preference for Openness-to-Change values aligns with contemporary trends in dental education, where critical thinking and independent decision-making are increasingly emphasized. \u0026nbsp;\u003csup\u003e24\u0026ndash;26\u003c/sup\u003e The educators in this study, who were university professors working collaboratively in interdisciplinary environments and actively involved in research, likely have a heightened awareness of the need to adopt values associated with openness to change.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConformation and safety domain of values is a significant category valued by most dentists. Formal dental education reinforces the development of these characteristics, which are integral to the profession. Unsurprisingly, adherence to conformity and safety is one of the defining features of dentistry. Dental students are specifically trained to follow regulations when diagnosing and formulating treatment plans for patients. One consequence of this professional characteristic is the prevalence of \u0026quot;ritual reasoning,\u0026quot; a common approach in dental students\u0026apos; decision-making processes.\u003csup\u003e20,27\u003c/sup\u003e The results of the current study also highlighted the importance of safety and adherence to the rules, which fall under the Conservation domain of professional values. This was demonstrated by the high percentage of dental educators in the sample who ranked this values domain as the second most important to teach undergraduate dental students.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough the two previously discussed domains of values, Openness-to-Change and Conservation seem contradictory within Moyo et al.\u0026apos;s framework, \u003csup\u003e12\u003c/sup\u003eboth appear to hold significant importance in dentistry. This finding may reflect a unique aspect of the dental profession. Dental professionals might tend to be open to change by accepting the inherent differences in this specific professional culture, but also sticking to the agreed upon rituals specifically known to the dental profession.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eValues included in the Self-Enhancement domain, such as authority and pleasure, are less frequently observed among healthcare professionals compared to other values. \u003csup\u003e12\u003c/sup\u003e This domain of values is also less presented in professional ethics instruments, as it contradicts some of the prominent professional values that characterize health professions. \u003csup\u003e28\u0026ndash;30\u003c/sup\u003e The results of the current study align with these findings, as most participants rated this value domain as less important compared to others. In contrast, values related to Self-Transcendence received higher rankings from participants in the current study. These values include altruism, professionalism, equality, and morality. Our findings are consistent with existing literature on the common values that define healthcare professionals. \u003csup\u003e31\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResults of the current study revealed a statistically significant difference in the ranking of Self-Enhancement values between male and female educators. This finding suggests that male and female educators may hold differing perspectives on the role of authority, capability, and personal pleasure in professional practice. However, no significant differences were found in the rankings of Self-Transcendence, Openness-to-Change, or Conservation values, indicating broad agreement between male and female educators on these aspects of professionalism. The higher ratings provided by the female educators to Self-Enhancement domain may reflect the cultural changes recently introduced in \u0026hellip;, particularly through Vision 2030. This vision has implemented several initiatives to empower women and increase their participation in the workforce, leadership and societal development.\u003csup\u003e32\u003c/sup\u003e Male participants rated Conservation domain higher than female participants. Despite that in the current study this difference was not statistically significant, this characteristic agreed with the literature. It is argued that while men may show a strong inclination toward preservation in contexts of survival or protection, their tendency to engage in risk-taking often contrasts with a higher prioritization of safety. These differences are shaped by a combination of biological, cultural, and situational influences. \u003csup\u003e33\u0026ndash;35\u003c/sup\u003e For this reason, it is advisable to adjust teaching of values according to cultural and organizational changes. \u003csup\u003e36\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen comparing educators based on years of teaching experience, results revealed significant differences in the ranking of Self-Transcendence and Openness-to-Change values. Self-Transcendence values (e.g., altruism, equality, spirituality) were rated higher by the most experienced educators (10+ years) compared to mid-career educators (5\u0026ndash;10 years). This finding is consistent with research on schoolteachers achieving a national standard of professionalization, which indicated that younger teachers exhibited a stronger need for achievement, whereas more experienced teachers demonstrated a greater inclination toward leadership and influence.\u003csup\u003e37\u003c/sup\u003e Similarly, studies in other professional fields have suggested that senior professionals tend to prioritize ethical responsibilities, mentorship, long term stability and societal contributions, aligning with the increased emphasis on Self-Transcendence values observed among the most experienced educators in this study. On the other hand, mid-career professionals are more inclined to personal development and self-improvement. \u003csup\u003e38,39\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother difference between the groups based on their length of teaching experience was observed in this study. Early-career educators (1\u0026ndash;5 years) placed a stronger emphasis on adaptability, intellectual stimulation, and independent thinking, possibly due to their recent exposure to modern teaching methodologies and evolving dental curricula. In contrast, more experienced educators (10+ years) may prioritize traditional approaches and stability in teaching methods, leading to a lower ranking of Openness-to-Change values.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResearch suggests that professionals with more years of experience might exhibit lower openness to change due to established habits, routines, and reliance on traditional practices. They may also face cognitive or emotional resistance to adapting to new systems or technologies. Conversely, those with fewer years of experience are often more adaptable, as they are closer to their training, which frequently incorporates current advancements and methodologies and fewer entrenched habits.\u003csup\u003e40\u0026ndash;42\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese findings suggest that teaching experience influences how educators perceive and prioritize different aspects of professionalism, emphasizing the need for faculty development programs that accommodate the evolving perspectives of educators at different career stages.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile this study provides valuable insights, some limitations should be considered. The sample size may not fully capture the diversity of perspectives across different dental specialties, and the study relied on self-reported rankings, which may be influenced by personal biases. Future research could explore the underlying reasons behind these rankings through qualitative interviews. Additionally, further studies could investigate how these values impact teaching effectiveness and student outcomes in dental education.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eEducational approaches to teaching professional values should be tailored to the specific requirements and culture of each profession. Dental educators have identified key domains that are critical for educating students. While openness to change and conservation are often viewed as opposing concepts, both are significant in the field of dentistry. This finding may be unique to dentistry. Additionally, the importance of values appears to be influenced by factors such as gender, culture, and length of experience.\u003c/p\u003e\n"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003eAcknowledgements:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNA\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate: Ethics approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee at \u0026hellip; University ref. number: (TUCDREC/240924/ENafea).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsent was obtained from the participants and approved by the Ethics Committee at \u0026hellip; University\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available on request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author declares that she has no competing interests\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research received no specific grant from any funding agency.\u003c/p\u003e\n"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlcota M, Manr\u0026iacute;quez JM, Cornejo-Ovalle M, Salinas JC, Catano VM, Ruiz de Gauna P, et al. Values related to professionalism in dental education at the University of Chile: Student and faculty perceptions. European Journal of Dental Education [Internet]. 2019 May 1;23(2):190\u0026ndash;8. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12419\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMartimianakis MA, Maniate JM, Hodges BD. Sociological interpretations of professionalism. Med Educ. 2009;43(9):829\u0026ndash;37. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHo MJ, Yu KH, Hirsh D, Huang TS, Yang PC. Does one size fit all? Building a framework for medical professionalism. Academic Medicine. 2011;86(11):1407\u0026ndash;14. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBringedal B, R\u0026oslash; KI, Magelssen M, F\u0026oslash;rde R, Aasland OG. Between professional values, social regulations and patient preferences: medical doctors\u0026rsquo; perceptions of ethical dilemmas. J Med Ethics. 2018;44(4):239\u0026ndash;43. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDash NR, Taha MH, Shorbagi S, Abdalla ME. Evaluation of the integration of social accountability values into medical education using a problem-based learning curriculum. BMC Med Educ [Internet]. 2022 Dec 1;22(1). Available from: https://sdl.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true\u0026amp;db=edssjs\u0026amp;AN=edssjs.CC6FD258\u0026amp;site=eds-live\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrathen A, Gallagher JE. Dental professionalism: definitions and debate. Br Dent J. 2009;206(5):249\u0026ndash;53. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAcharya S. The Ethical Climate in Academic Dentistry in India: Faculty and Student Perceptions. J Dent Educ [Internet]. 2005 Jun 1;69(6):671\u0026ndash;80. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2005.69.6.tb03950.x\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBertolami CN. Why Our Ethics Curricula Don\u0026rsquo;t Work. J Dent Educ [Internet]. 2004 Apr 1;68(4):414\u0026ndash;25. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2004.68.4.tb03758.x\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSharp H, Stefanac SJ. Ethics Education in Dental School: Continuing the Conversation. J Dent Educ [Internet]. 2004 Aug 1;68(8):801\u0026ndash;2. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2004.68.8.tb03825.x\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeifouri V. Professional Behavior in Medical Practice. In: Amarin ZO, editor. Advances in Medical Education and Training [Internet]. Rijeka: IntechOpen; 2024. p. Ch. 3. Available from: https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.114111\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003evan Mook WNKA, van Luijk SJ, de Grave W, O\u0026rsquo;Sullivan H, Wass V, Schuwirth LW, et al. Teaching and learning professional behavior in practice. Eur J Intern Med [Internet]. 2009;20(5):e105\u0026ndash;11. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0953620509000053\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMoyo M, Goodyear-Smith FA, Weller J, Robb G, Shulruf B. Healthcare practitioners\u0026rsquo; personal and professional values. Advances in Health Sciences Education. 2016;21:257\u0026ndash;86. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSchwartz SH. Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. In: Advances in experimental social psychology. Elsevier; 1992. p. 1\u0026ndash;65. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShakour M, Yamani N, Yousefi A. The Factors Affecting Teaching and Learning Professionalism Among Medical Teachers. Health Care Manag (Frederick) [Internet]. 2018;37(2). Available from: https://journals.lww.com/healthcaremanagerjournal/fulltext/2018/04000/the_factors_affecting_teaching_and_learning.11.aspx\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMahajan N, Oza DJ. Perceptions of Dental Professionalism - An update. JIDA: Journal of Indian Dental Association [Internet]. 2024 May 1;18(5):28\u0026ndash;33. Available from: https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=ba0868df-eed4-37e8-9f58-7869e86f2f18\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSiegler M. A legacy of Osler: teaching clinical ethics at the bedside. JAMA. 1978;239(10):951\u0026ndash;6. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBader JD, Shugars DA. Understanding Dentists\u0026rsquo; Restorative Treatment Decisions. J Public Health Dent [Internet]. 1992 Mar 1;52(2):102\u0026ndash;10. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-7325.1992.tb02251.x\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNagpal D, Lai H, Gibson MP, Zeinabadi MS, Kornerup IM. Knowledge, confidence and clinical reasoning of dental students for diagnosing pediatric periodontal diseases. Global Pediatrics [Internet]. 2024;9:100229. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667009724000976\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBader JD, Shugars DA. Need for change in standards of caries diagnosis\u0026ndash;epidemiology and health services research perspective. J Dent Educ [Internet]. 1993 Jun 1;57(6):415\u0026ndash;21. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.1993.57.6.tb02767.x\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNafea E. Clinical reasoning in dental students: a comparative cross-curricula study. 2015 Dec 9 [cited 2023 May 15]; Available from: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/30395/#.ZGJR0O3gWb8.mendeley\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHoseinzadeh M, Motallebi A, Kazemian A. General dentists\u0026rsquo; treatment plans in response to cosmetic complains; a field study using unannounced-standardized-patient. Heliyon [Internet]. 2024;10(19):e38205. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024142363\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRenne WG, McGill ST, Mennito AS, Wolf BJ, Marlow NM, Shaftman S, et al. E4D Compare Software: An Alternative to Faculty Grading in Dental Education. J Dent Educ [Internet]. 2013 Feb 1;77(2):168\u0026ndash;75. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.0022-0337.2013.77.2.tb05459.x\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNafea E. Stress among Undergraduate Dental Students [Internet] [Master of medical sciences]. [Nottingham]: The University of Nottingham; 2011 [cited 2024 Nov 25]. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335688060_Stress_among_undergraduate_dental_students/citations\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThalakiriyawa DS, Dissanayaka WL. Advances in Regenerative Dentistry Approaches: An Update. Int Dent J [Internet]. 2024;74(1):25\u0026ndash;34. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020653923001260\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLiaqat S, Qayyum H, Rafaqat Z, Qadir A, Fayyaz S, Khan A, et al. Laser as an innovative tool, its implications and advances in dentistry: A systematic review. J Photochem Photobiol [Internet]. 2022;12:100148. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666469022000410\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYoon RK, Best JM. Advances in Pediatric Dentistry. Dent Clin North Am [Internet]. 2011;55(3):419\u0026ndash;32. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0011853211000188\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKhatami S, MacEntee MI. Evolution of clinical reasoning in dental education. J Dent Educ. 2011;75(3):321\u0026ndash;8. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeLisa JA, Foye PM, Jain SS, Kirshblum S, Christodoulou C. Measuring Professionalism in a Physiatry Residency Training Program. Am J Phys Med Rehabil [Internet]. 2001;80(3). Available from: https://journals.lww.com/ajpmr/fulltext/2001/03000/measuring_professionalism_in_a_physiatry_residency.15.aspx\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMartin RA, Puhlik-Doris P, Larsen G, Gray J, Weir K. Individual differences in uses of humor and their relation to psychological well-being: Development of the Humor Styles Questionnaire. J Res Pers [Internet]. 2003;37(1):48\u0026ndash;75. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092656602005342\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeis D, Schank MJ. Development and psychometric evaluation of the Nurses Professional Values Scale--Revised [corrected][published erratum appears in J NURS MEAS 2010; 18 (1): 70-2]. J Nurs Meas. 2009;17(3). \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVan De Camp K, Vernooij-Dassen MJFJ, Grol RPTM, Bottema BJAM. How to conceptualize professionalism: a qualitative study. Med Teach. 2004;26(8):696\u0026ndash;702. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026rsquo;Al-Hilali H. Empowering women\u0026rsquo;s involvement in Saudi Vision 2030 [Internet]. Misk. 2023 [cited 2024 Dec 1]. Available from: https://hub.misk.org.sa/insights/saudistories/2023/empowering-women-s-involvement-in-saudi-vision-2030/\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJosef AK, Richter D, Samanez-Larkin GR, Wagner GG, Hertwig R, Mata R. Stability and change in risk-taking propensity across the adult life span. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2016;111(3):430. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGalsanjigmed E, Sekiguchi T. Challenges Women Experience in Leadership Careers: An Integrative Review. Merits [Internet]. 2023 May 19 [cited 2024 Dec 1];3(2):366\u0026ndash;89. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8104/3/2/21\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKraft P, Kraft B. Explaining socioeconomic disparities in health behaviours: A review of biopsychological pathways involving stress and inflammation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev [Internet]. 2021;127:689\u0026ndash;708. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763421002219\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRacko G. Bureaucratization and medical professionals\u0026rsquo; values: A cross-national analysis. Soc Sci Med [Internet]. 2017;180:76\u0026ndash;84. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953617301739\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHildebrandt SA, Eom M. Teacher professionalization: Motivational factors and the influence of age. Teach Teach Educ [Internet]. 2011;27(2):416\u0026ndash;23. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X10001629\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStehr N, Grundmann R. Experts: The knowledge and power of expertise. Routledge; 2011. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHommelhoff S, Schr\u0026ouml;der C, Niessen C. The experience of personal growth in different career stages: An exploratory study. Organisationsberatung, Supervision, Coaching [Internet]. 2020;27(1):5\u0026ndash;19. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11613-020-00634-y\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJadhav ED, Holsinger JW, Fardo DW. Openness to Change: Experiential and Demographic Components of Change in Local Health Department Leaders. Front Public Health [Internet]. 2015;3. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2015.00209\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCherry K. How Openness Affects Your Behavior [Internet]. Dotdash Media, Inc. . 2023 [cited 2024 Dec 1]. Available from: https://www.verywellmind.com/how-openness-influences-your-behavior-4796351#toc-what-openness-means\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIgoe K. Change Management: Why It\u0026rsquo;s So Important, and So Challenging, in Health Care Environments [Internet]. The President and Fellows of Harvard College. 2024 [cited 2024 Dec 1]. Available from: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ecpe/change-management-why-its-so-important-and-so-challenging-in-health-care-environments/\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"},{"header":"Tables","content":"\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15.7787%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDental school\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17.623%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNumber and percentage\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14.1393%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSex\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17.623%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNumber and percentage\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17.2131%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYears of experience in the dental institution\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17.623%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNumber and percentage\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15.7787%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKing Abdulaziz University\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17.623%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e72 (47.1%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14.1393%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFemales\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17.623%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e72 (47.1%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17.2131%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e0-5 year\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17.623%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e26 (17%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15.7787%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTaibah University\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17.623%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e81(52.9%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14.1393%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMales\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17.623%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e81(52.9%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17.2131%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e5-10 years\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17.623%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e48 (31.4%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 15.7787%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17.623%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14.1393%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17.623%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17.2131%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMore than 10 years\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 17.623%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e79 (51.6%)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 1: Demographic distribution of the sample, including counts and percentages for sex, years of experience, and dental college.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"fr-table-selection-hover\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 26.8182%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGroups\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19.0909%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSelf-Enhancement\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20.9091%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSelf-Transcendence\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14.7727%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOpenness-to-Change\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 18.4091%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eConservation\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 26.8182%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19.0909%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.611111\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20.9091%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.388889\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14.7727%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.083333\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 18.4091%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.916667\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 26.8182%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19.0909%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.333333\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20.9091%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.666667\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14.7727%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.987654\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 18.4091%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.012346\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 26.8182%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1-5 years\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19.0909%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.192308\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20.9091%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.615385\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14.7727%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 18.4091%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.692308\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 26.8182%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5-10 years\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19.0909%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.395833\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20.9091%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.208333\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14.7727%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.354167\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 18.4091%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.041667\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 26.8182%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003emore than 10 years\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19.0909%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.594937\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20.9091%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.708861\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14.7727%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.683544\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 18.4091%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.012658\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 26.8182%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCollective\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 19.0909%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.464052288\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 20.9091%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.535947712\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14.7727%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.032679739\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 18.4091%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.967320261\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 2: Mean rankings of professional values across different groups in your sample (sex and years of experience).\u003c/p\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"Taibah University","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"dental education, dental students, educators, ethics, values","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6557807/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6557807/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003ePurpose: Professional values shape the identity and ethical practice of dental educators. Understanding how these values are perceived can inform curriculum development and faculty training. This study examines the ranking of professional values among dental educators and explores differences based on gender and teaching experience.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMethods: This cross-sectional study targeted dental educators from two … institutions. Participants ranked four domains of professional values: Self-Enhancement, Self-Transcendence, Openness-to-Change, and Conservation by their importance in dental education. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test (gender differences) and the Kruskal-Wallis test (experience differences), with post-hoc Dunn’s test for significant results.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResults: Among 153 educators, 99.35% agreed on the importance of teaching professional ethics, though perceptions of institutional practices varied. Openness-to-Change and Conservation values were ranked highest, while Self-Enhancement values received the lowest priority. Male educators ranked Self-Enhancement values significantly lower than females. More experienced educators (10+ years) prioritized Self-Transcendence values over mid-career educators. Early-career educators (1–5 years) ranked Openness-to-Change values higher than senior educators.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConclusions: The study highlights the need to align educational strategies with professional values. Gender and career stage influence value perceptions, offering insights for curriculum development and faculty training in dental education.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Assessing the most important professional values in undergraduate dental education from the perspectives of educators","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-05-07 09:09:33","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6557807/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"b3698734-4def-462d-ae5e-75ee7b701bcf","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 7th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":47862456,"name":"Dentistry"},{"id":47862457,"name":"Medical Ethics"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-05-07T09:09:33+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-05-07 09:09:33","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6557807","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6557807","identity":"rs-6557807","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}