The relationship of professional socialization and professional role model identification to self-assessed health education competencies

This study was conducted to identify the relationship between professional socialization, professional role model identification and self-assessed health education competencies of senior health education students. The population consisted of all senior health education majors attending the three New Jersey colleges awarding baccalaureate degrees in health education/science, which had enrollments of more than five students. A total of 53 students (88%) participated.;Instruments used for data collection included: the Occupation Inventory (Hall, 1966), Self Assessment for the Health Education Specialist, Perceived Competence, (National Task Force, 1987) and a demographic questionnaire with 1-3 questions on professional role model identification.;T-test analysis was used to determine if identification of a professional role model contributed to either professional socialization or self-assessed health education competencies. The results were not significant. Students identifying role models were no more socialized or competent than those not identifying a professional role model.;A Pearson correlation between professional socialization and health education competencies was not significant. However, when academic major was controlled, a significant relationship was found for school health education majors. This was not found for community health education majors. T-test analysis of socialization scores of both majors yielded a significant difference. School health education majors were more socialized.;Multiple regression analysis revealed no significant relationship between the combined contribution of a professional role model and professional socialization to health education competencies.;As a result of this research academic major was identified as an important determinant in professional socialization. Professional socialization was a contributing variable in the self-assessed competencies of senior school health education majors.