HUBUNGAN TINGKAT PENDIDIKAN DENGAN IDENTITAS PROFESIONAL PADA MAHASISWA FISIOTERAPI DI JAWA TIMUR

Background. Professional identity in physiotherapy reflects students' understanding of their roles and responsibilities as aspiring physiotherapists. The process of professional identity formation develops through learning experiences, social interactions, and an understanding of professional values throughout their education. Educational level plays a role in this process, as the higher the level of education, the broader the student's insight, skills, and understanding of their professional roles and responsibilities.
Aim. To determine the relationship between educational level and professional identity among physiotherapy students in East Java.
Method. This study used a quantitative, descriptive, correlational design with a cross-sectional approach. The sample consisted of active physiotherapy students in East Java (D3, D4, and S1) selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected through an online questionnaire using two standardized instruments: the Demographic Questionnaire to measure educational level and the Professional Identity Scale from Adams et al. (2006) to measure professional identity. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test to assess the relationship between variables..
Result. The analysis showed a significant positive relationship between education level and professional identity among physiotherapy students in East Java (p < 0.05). Students with higher education levels tended to have better professional identity scores compared to students with lower education levels.