Prediction of academic success in a dental laboratory course for adults

Abstract

Every selection and classification program has one major objective, the identification of those individuals most likely to succeed in a particular undertaking. The Dental Laboratory Specialist Course of the U. S. Army trains soldiers in fabrication and repair of dental prostheses and appliances such as jackets, crowns and inlays. This training is similar to that provided in civilian schools, leading to certification as a dental laboratory technician. The objective of this study was to determine whether a measure or combination of measures could be used to effectively predict success or failure in the Army's Dental Laboratory Specialist Course. A chalk carving test was administered to all students in five classes in the course at the Academy of Health Sciences, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, during the period May to December, 1978. Aptitude area test scores from the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) were collected in the areas of Operators and Food, Mechanical Maintenance, General Maintenance, General Technical, and Skilled Technical. These data, along with sex of the students, were used in a model to predict success or failure in the Dental Laboratory Specialist Course. The chalk carving test is a carving dexterity exercise which measures ability in the psychomotor domain. The chalk carving test was formerly used by the American Dental Association as the manual abilities portion of a battery for selection of dental students. The chalk carvings were made during the second hour of the course. Each carving was independently scored by three raters. To insure interrater reliability, a group of 15 carvings not in the sample was obtained and evaluated. The coefficient of concordance was calculated at .96. The total number of students enrolled in five sections of the course was used (N=98). Of that number, 88 completed the course; 10 failed...