Development and Preliminary Validation of the Functional Empathy Educational Scale for Measuring Dental Educators' Empathy.

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to develop and validate the functional empathy educational scale (FEES), a novel instrument designed to assess empathy among dental educators.

Methods: A web-based questionnaire, including a cover letter and consent form, was distributed to dental educators across three countries. Statistical analyses were conducted to assess the scale's validity, reliability, and variations in empathy based on demographic and professional variables.

Results: The FEES demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.80). Empathy levels varied significantly by gender, country, teaching experience, and dental specialty. Notably, 11% of educators exhibited the highest empathy levels, while 5% displayed the lowest. The majority (84%) showed moderate empathy. Female educators scored significantly higher in empathy compared to males (p < 0.001). Among the countries, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia showed the highest empathy levels (p < 0.001), followed by Egypt and India (p = 0.76). No significant differences were identified concerning teaching experience (p = 0.184) or dental specialty (p = 0.377).

Conclusions: The FEES showed acceptable reliability and validity, positioning it as a valuable tool for evaluating empathy in dental and medical education settings.