A new study highlights the factors influencing turnover intention among dental and dental hygiene faculty in the United States, focusing on the balance between effort and reward. Published in the Journal of Dental Education (January 2025), the study explored how perceived work effort, rewards, and overcommitment affect the decision to leave academia in this field.
Surveying 273 faculty members, the research found that nearly 67% of participants reported sometimes or always considering leaving their jobs. The study used the Teacher Effort–Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (Teacher ERIQ) and the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS-6) to assess factors related to job satisfaction and potential turnover.
The results revealed that faculty members generally felt they were putting in more effort than they were receiving in rewards. Regression analysis showed that increased perceived effort was strongly linked to higher turnover intentions while greater rewards significantly reduced the intention to leave.
The study underscores the importance of balancing workload and rewards to improve retention among dental faculty. With high turnover risks identified, institutions may need to reassess faculty compensation, support, and work-life balance to recruit and retain qualified educators.
These findings have significant implications for addressing faculty shortages in dental education and improving job satisfaction in academia. The study emphasizes the need for educational institutions to create a more equitable effort-reward environment to reduce faculty turnover and ensure a stable, well-supported workforce.
For full details, see the complete study in the Journal of Dental Education: https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.13828.
