{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,29]],"date-time":"2026-08-29T11:19:12Z","timestamp":1788002352068,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Wiley","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,29]],"date-time":"2026-08-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787961600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,29]],"date-time":"2026-08-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787961600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Dental Education"],"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Purpose<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The \u201cfailure to fail\u201d phenomenon, faculty reluctance to assign failing grades to underperforming learners, poses persistent challenges in health professions education. This study examines the prevalence, contributing factors, and contextual patterns of this phenomenon in US dental education.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A cross\u2011sectional Qualtrics survey was distributed through Academic Deans to faculty at US dental schools (\n                      <jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u00a0=\u00a0368\u2013375 respondents). The survey included 14 quantitative items and one open\u2011ended prompt addressing attitudes toward failure, professional responsibility, barriers to assigning failing grades, and perceived reasons for student underperformance. Quantitative data were analyzed using chi\u2011square tests with Bonferroni corrections; qualitative responses underwent inductive thematic analysis.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Most faculty agreed that failure supports learning (74%\u201386%) and reported confidence identifying failing students (78%\u201382%). However, 30%\u201336% did not consistently view assigning failing grades as a professional responsibility, and 17%\u201338% reported passing a student who should have failed within the past year, highest in preclinical and clinical settings. Significant differences emerged across gender, appointment type, experience level, and generation. Institutional\/administrative culture was the most influential barrier, followed by assessment\u2011tool limitations and remediation constraints. Qualitative findings reinforced systemic pressures, misaligned standards, fear of student retaliation, and inconsistencies in assessment calibration.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Failure to fail remains a systemic challenge in dental education, driven less by individual reluctance and more by institutional culture, assessment inconsistencies, and limited remediation structures. Addressing this phenomenon requires coordinated institutional action, faculty development, and assessment reform to ensure competent, practice\u2011ready graduates.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1002\/jdd.70348","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,29]],"date-time":"2026-08-29T11:10:14Z","timestamp":1788001814000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Why Faculty \u201cFail to Fail\u201d: A Study of US Dental School Faculty Perceptions About Assigning Failing Ratings and Grades"],"prefix":"10.1002","author":[{"given":"Vidya","family":"Ramaswamy","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Michigan School of Dentistry  Ann Arbor Michigan USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Theodora","family":"Danciu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine University of Michigan School of Dentistry  Ann Arbor Michigan USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dharini","family":"van der Hoeven","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics  Iowa City Iowa USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_8_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.stueduc.2024.101425"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12909\u2010022\u201003257\u20102"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10459\u2010009\u20109205\u2010z"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10459\u2010022\u201010096\u20109"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/0142159X.2016.1215414"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.profnurs.2025.07.010"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/00001888\u2010200510001\u201000023"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/0142159X.2016.1215413"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12909\u2010016\u20100596\u20102"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/s1481803500010009"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3109\/0142159X.2014.910295"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/eje.12036"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/eje.12768"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/medu.13772"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/ACM.0000000000000737"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.nepr.2016.06.009"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365\u20102923.2008.03113.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12909\u2010023\u201004688\u20101"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/medu.13728"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s12630\u2010021\u201001971\u2010x"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.1983.03340060055026"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/ACM.0000000000001927"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10401334.2012.741541"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.nepr.2011.08.003"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/ijnes\u20102012\u20100037"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/medu.12546"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_28_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3109\/0142159x.2011.565828"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.21815\/jde.019.180"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3109\/0142159x.2014.889814"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_31_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3138\/jvme\u20102020\u20100053"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2018.00149"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_33_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/nur.20147"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_34_1","unstructured":"Commission on Dental Accreditation \u201cSite Visitor Training Modules \u201dhttps:\/\/coda.ada.org\/site\u2010visitor\u2010resources\/coda\u2010new\u2010site\u2010visitor\u2010training\u2010modules\u2010unit\u20102."},{"key":"e_1_2_8_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_36_1","volume-title":"Statistical Analysis With Missing Data","author":"Little R. 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