Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor of Dental Hygiene Clinical Teaching Effectiveness

The development of strong interpersonal relationships between clinical instructors and students has been found to contribute to clinical teaching effectiveness (CTE). In addition, strong interpersonal relationships are more likely to occur in individuals who possess a high level of emotional intelligence (EI). However, an examination of the impact of a clinical instructor's EI on CTE has not been extensively investigated. The aims of this study were to measure the CTE and EI of dental hygiene clinical instructors and to identify any correlations between their CTE and EI. In this cross-sectional quantitative study conducted in 2017, dental hygiene clinical instructors in selected U.S. dental hygiene programs were invited to complete two online assessments: the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) and the Nursing Clinical Teaching Effectiveness Inventory (NCTEI). Demographic data collected from participants was also included in the exploratory data analysis. A total of 42 clinical instructors from programs in 19 states completed both the MSCEIT and the NCTEI. The results showed statistically significant correlations between negative clinical teaching behaviors and MSCEIT outcomes. These results suggest that emotional intelligence may be linked to dental hygiene clinical instructors' teaching effectiveness, with low emotional intelligence being a predictor of negative teaching behaviors.