Predictors of Commitment to Athletic Training Education

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 3-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Windee M. Weiss ◽  
Peter J. Neibert

Context In order for athletic training students to be successful in any athletic training education program (ATEP), a certain level of commitment to the program and profession is required. Objective The purpose of this study was to explore the applicability of the sport commitment model (SCM) to an ATEP by applying the SCM in an academic setting to predict ATEP students' commitment to an ATEP. Design Cross-sectional, survey. Setting Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited ATEP. Patients or Other Participants A total of 99 male and female athletic training students participated. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 24 years of age (mean = 20.10 ± 1.28). Intervention(s) Previously validated measures were used to assess students' perceptions of enjoyment, attractive alternatives, investments, social constraints and support, benefits and costs, and commitment to the ATEP. All measures demonstrated adequate reliability for the current sample (Cronbach α = 0.71–0.93). Main Outcome Measure(s) A simultaneous multiple regression was conducted to determine which of the SCM determinants predicted ATEP commitment. An analysis of variance and a multivariate analysis of variance were conducted to compare preservice and first-, second-, and third-year ATEP students on SCM constructs. Results Perceived enjoyment and investments emerged as the significant predictors for ATEP commitment, with higher perceptions of enjoyment and investments predicting higher ATEP commitment. Students of varying academic years differed on their perceptions of ATEP enjoyment, with preservice students reporting higher enjoyment than first- or third-year students, and second-year students reporting higher enjoyment than third-year students. Additionally, preservice students reported significantly higher commitment and benefits, and lower costs and attractive alternatives, than first- and third-year students. Second-year students reported lower perceived costs than first- and third-year students. Conclusions The SCM may provide a theoretical framework in which to predict ATEP students' commitment to the program, as well as behavioral commitment (eg, stay/leave behavior).

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Windee M. Weiss ◽  
Peter J. Neibert

Context: Changes in commitment and the predictors of commitment to an athletic training program (ATP) across the academic 4-year program is important for facilitating students' continued success in ATPs and on the Board of Certification (BOC) exam. Objective: The purpose of this study was 2-fold: (1) examine changes in 1 cohort's perceptions of commitment across 4 academic years, and (2) to determine if commitment constructs could predict BOC scores. Design: Longitudinal and cross-sectional survey. Setting: Commission on Accrediting Athletic Training Education accredited ATP at a midsize Division I University. Patients or Other Participants: For purpose (1), 24 ATP students (male = 12, female = 12) participated, and ranged in age from 21–23 years (mean = 21.50 ± 0.59). For purpose (2), a total of 75 male and female senior ATP students participated. Main Outcome Measure(s): Repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted on each predictor of commitment and ATP commitment to determine significant changes in scores from 1 year to the next. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine if commitment constructs could predict BOC scores. Lastly, a multivariate analysis of variance compared successful and unsuccessful first attempt BOC candidates on the commitment constructs. Results: Commitment, enjoyment, and benefits decreased significantly from the first year in the ATP to the second year in the program. Attractive alternatives and investments significantly increased during this same timeframe. No significant changes occurred in students' perceptions of perceived social constraints or support from professors, parents, peers, or best friends. Lastly, commitment constructs failed to predict who would pass the BOC exam, and no differences emerged for commitment constructs between students who passed the BOC exam on the first attempt and those who did not. Conclusions: Athletic Training Program students' commitment, enjoyment, investments, attractive alternatives, and perceived benefits fluctuate throughout their time enrolled in an ATP.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan Crutcher ◽  
Ryan N. Moran ◽  
Tracey Covassin

Context: Although social support has been reported to be a factor that increases retention of athletic trainers in their profession, there is a lack of literature examining the specific relationship of social support satisfaction and its predictive influence on stress and depression among athletic training students. Objective: To determine which sources of social support were perceived to be the most salient and ascertain whether social support satisfaction can predict stress and depression among athletic training students. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Nine Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited professional athletic training programs. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 204 athletic training students from Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited athletic training programs were included in this study. Main Outcome Measure(s): Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Social Support Questionnaire. Results: Social Support Satisfaction significantly predicted overall perceived stress (P = .010) and depression (P < .001). Satisfaction of support from family (P = .043) and other athletic trainers (P = .011) were significant predictors of perceived stress, whereas satisfaction of support from family (P = .003), other athletic trainers (P = .002), and athletes (P = .038) significantly predicted depression. Conclusions: The current study suggests that having an increased satisfaction of social support may reduce stress perceptions and depression in athletic training students.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas M. Dodge ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Thomas G. Bowman

Context Clinical integration impacts athletic training students' (ATSs) motivation and persistence. Research has yet to elucidate the manner in which different clinical placements can influence clinical integration. Objective To examine differences in the levels of clinical integration achieved by ATSs across various clinical sport assignments. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Thirteen undergraduate athletic training programs. Patients or Other Participants Questionnaires were administered to 169 ATSs previously engaged in clinical education experiences. One hundred twenty-nine participants completed the questionnaire, for a response rate of 76.33%. Participants completed an average of 4 ± 2 clinical rotations. Intervention(s) The 11-item clinical integration scale was administered either in-person or online methods. Responses were scored on a 6-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree). Main Outcome Measure(s) Mean clinical integration scores (potential minimum score of 11, maximum score of 66), were calculated for each clinical placement. One-way analysis of variance was used to identify differences in clinical integration achieved across clinical placements. Results We found differences in clinical integration achieved across various clinical assignments (F19,415 = 3.486, P < .001). Students completing a rotation with college football achieved the lowest levels of clinical integration (46.9 ± 9.1). Other sports rated higher, ranging from 51.6 ± 10.1 (baseball) to 57.8 ± 4.5 (lacrosse), with all reporting less anxiety and time wasting than were associated with football. The high school rotation was also rated highly (54.7 ± 6.4), with higher levels of learning reported and fewer concerns about anxiety, excessive hours, and wasting time. Conclusions There were clear differences in clinical integration achieved between sites. In particular, ATSs completing clinical rotations with college football reported the lowest levels of clinical integration. These low levels of integration stemmed from feelings of wasting time, completing menial tasks, excessive hours, and anxiety associated with the educational experience.


2010 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 609-614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa C. Marty ◽  
Jolene M. Henning ◽  
John T. Willse

Abstract Context: Peer assessment is defined as students judging the level or quality of a fellow student's understanding. No researchers have yet demonstrated the accuracy or reliability of peer assessment in athletic training education. Objective: To determine the accuracy and reliability of peer assessment of athletic training students' psychomotor skills. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Entry-level master's athletic training education program. Patients or Other Participants: First-year (n  =  5) and second-year (n  =  8) students. Main Outcome Measure(s): Participants evaluated 10 videos of a peer performing 3 psychomotor skills (middle deltoid manual muscle test, Faber test, and Slocum drawer test) on 2 separate occasions using a valid assessment tool. Accuracy of each peer-assessment score was examined through percentage correct scores. We used a generalizability study to determine how reliable athletic training students were in assessing a peer performing the aforementioned skills. Decision studies using generalizability theory demonstrated how the peer-assessment scores were affected by the number of participants and number of occasions. Results: Participants had a high percentage of correct scores: 96.84% for the middle deltoid manual muscle test, 94.83% for the Faber test, and 97.13% for the Slocum drawer test. They were not able to reliably assess a peer performing any of the psychomotor skills on only 1 occasion. However, the ϕ increased (exceeding the 0.70 minimal standard) when 2 participants assessed the skill on 3 occasions (ϕ  =  0.79) for the Faber test, with 1 participant on 2 occasions (ϕ  =  0.76) for the Slocum drawer test, and with 3 participants on 2 occasions for the middle deltoid manual muscle test (ϕ  =  0.72). Conclusions: Although students did not detect all errors, they assessed their peers with an average of 96% accuracy. Having only 1 student assess a peer performing certain psychomotor skills was less reliable than having more than 1 student assess those skills on more than 1 occasion. Peer assessment of psychomotor skills could be an important part of the learning process and a tool to supplement instructor assessment.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Windee M. Weiss

Context: Sustaining effort and persistence throughout injury rehabilitation are common goals for sport health care professionals. Considerable research in the sport domain has explored the issue of commitment to sport, as well as what predicts or influences an athlete’s continued desire and resolve to continue participation. Scanlan and colleagues developed the sport commitment model (SCM) that places enjoyment as central construct influencing athletes’ commitment. According to the model, perceptions of enjoyment, personal investments, involvement opportunities, attractive alternatives, social constraints, and social support should predict an athlete’s level of sport commitment. One could argue the same may be true for commitment to sport injury rehabilitation. By applying the SCM to sport injury rehabilitation, practitioners may be able to enhance an athlete’s commitment to their rehabilitation, prolong adherence, and increase other positive outcomes, such as increased enjoyment, motivation, and successful return to competition. Objective: The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the applicability of the SCM to the injury rehabilitation setting. Design: Correlational design was used. Setting: Division I, intercollegiate athletic training room. Participants: 51 injured intercollegiate male and female athletes, 5 certified athletic trainers, and 8 senior, athletic training students. Intervention: At the approximate midpoint of each athlete’s injury rehabilitation, participants completed SCM measures. Certified athletic trainers and senior athletic training students independently assessed each injured athlete on effort, energy, and intensity during rehabilitation sessions. Main Outcome Measures: Rehabilitation commitment, enjoyment, investments, attractive alternatives, social constraints, perceived costs, and rehabilitation behaviors. Results: Higher perceptions of investments predicted rehabilitation commitment. However, none of the SCM determinants predicted athletic trainer–rated rehabilitation behaviors. Conclusions: Future research should continue to explore commitment constructs in relation to rehabilitation motivation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Heinerichs ◽  
Neil Curtis ◽  
Alison Gardiner-Shires

Context: Athletic training students (ATSs) are involved in various situations during the clinical experience that may cause them to express levels of frustration. Understanding levels of frustration in ATSs is important because frustration can affect student learning, and the clinical experience is critical to their development as professionals. Objective:  To explore perceived levels of frustration in ATSs during clinical situations and to determine if those perceptions differ based on sex. Design:  Cross-sectional study with a survey instrument. Setting:  A total of 14 of 19 professional, undergraduate athletic training programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education in Pennsylvania. Patients or Other Participants:  Of a possible 438 athletic training students, 318 (72.6%) completed the survey. Main Outcomes Measure(s):  The Athletic Training Student Frustration Inventory was developed and administered. The survey gathered demographic information and included 24 Likert-scale items centering on situations associated with the clinical experience. Descriptive statistics were computed on all items. The Mann-Whitney U was used to evaluate differences between male and female students. Results:  A higher level of frustration was perceived during the following clinical situations: lack of respect by student-athletes and coaching staffs, the demands of the clinical experience, inability of ATSs to perform or remember skills, and ATSs not having the opportunity to apply their skills daily. Higher levels of frustration were perceived in female than male ATSs in several areas. Conclusions:  Understanding student frustration during clinical situations is important to better appreciate the clinical education experience. Low levels of this emotion are expected; however, when higher levels exist, learning can be affected. Whereas we cannot eliminate student frustrations, athletic training programs and preceptors need to be aware of this emotion in order to create an environment that is more conducive to learning.


2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Windee M. Weiss ◽  
Peter J. Neibert

Context Understanding changes in athletic training program (ATP) commitment over time is crucial in retaining high-quality students in an ATP. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine if changes over time in ATP commitment determinants are related to actual changes in ATP commitment. Design Longitudinal and cross-sectional survey. Setting Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education-accredited ATP. Patients or Other Participants A total of 99 male and female athletic training students participated in Time 1. A total of 71 (39% males, 61% females) of the original 99 participants participated in Time 2. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 24 years (mean = 20.05, standard deviation = 1.28). Data Collection and Analysis Previously validated measures assessed students' perceptions of enjoyment, attractive alternatives, investments, social constraints and support, benefits and costs, and commitment to ATP over time. Change scores for Times 1 and 2 were calculated for each predictor and commitment to ATP. Two multiple regression analyses determined which changes in the determinants of commitment predicted a change in commitment. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) determined the magnitude of change in the model variables over time. Lastly, a multivariate ANOVA compared who continued, graduated, and discontinued in the ATP. Results Increases in investments and enjoyment predicted positive changes in commitment from Time 1 to Time 2. Additionally, decreases in classmates' social constraints and increases in professors' social constraints positively predicted changes in commitment. When exploring the magnitude of change in the model variables, only increases and decreases in enjoyment from Time 1 to Time 2 were related to concomitant changes in commitment. Lastly, graduating students reported lower commitment and enjoyment and higher perceived costs than did those students who remained in the ATP and had not yet graduated. Conclusions Athletic training program commitment predictors tend to change over time; ATP enjoyment is critical to continued motivation.


Author(s):  
Christopher Brown ◽  
Shannon David ◽  
Michele Monaco

Purpose: Academia is currently seeing a surge in technology integration in the classroom. Electronic textbooks (e-textbooks) is expected to grow exponentially in the future. Although there is a rush in use of technology in academia, few studies have evaluated perceptions of electronic textbooks especially among athletic training students. The purpose of this study is to identify athletic training student computer use, if athletic students are using electronic textbooks, and to help understand their perceptions of those electronic texts. Method: A cross sectional survey design was utilized. Participants completed a self-reported online survey. A survey link was emailed to athletic training faculty in 360 undergraduate programs to be forwarded to their students. The survey contained an informed consent item followed by 37 items (6 demographic) related to perceptions of electronic textbooks. Data analysis used descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 861 athletic training students completed the survey. When students were asked about their preference for e-textbooks or traditional textbooks, 69% prefer a traditional textbook while 22% state they had never had the opportunity to work with an e-textbook. A majority of students (96.4%) feel comfortable with computers. A large number of students (43.1%) respond they are not aware e-textbooks exist for athletic training courses. The primary reasons students prefer traditional textbooks over e-textbooks are ease of reading, followed by ease of note taking. Conclusions: The majority of athletic training students, who fall in the age range of the Millennial Generation, prefer traditional textbooks over e-textbooks. Educators should continue to utilize traditional textbooks as a primary method of learning while incorporating technology such as e-textbooks as secondary methods.


2021 ◽  
pp. 155982762110181
Author(s):  
Sam Sugimoto ◽  
Drew Recker ◽  
Elizabeth E. Halvorson ◽  
Joseph A. Skelton

Background. Many diseases are linked to lifestyle in the United States, yet physicians receive little training in nutrition. Medical students’ prior knowledge of nutrition and cooking is unknown. Objective. To determine incoming medical students’ prior nutrition knowledge, culinary skills, and nutrition habits. Methods. A dual-methods study of first-year medical students. Cross-sectional survey assessing prior knowledge, self-efficacy, and previous education of cooking and nutrition. Interviews of second-year medical students explored cooking and nutrition in greater depth. Results. A total of 142 first-year medical students participated; 16% had taken a nutrition course, with majority (66%) learning outside classroom settings. Students had a mean score of 87% on the Nutritional Knowledge Questionnaire versus comparison group (64.9%). Mean cooking and food skills score were lower than comparison scores. Overall, students did not meet guidelines for fiber, fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Interviews with second-year students revealed most learned to cook from their families; all believed it important for physicians to have this knowledge. Conclusions. Medical students were knowledgeable about nutrition, but typically self-taught. They were not as confident or skilled in cooking, and mostly learned from their family. They expressed interest in learning more about nutrition and cooking.


2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 104-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah S. Benes ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle

Context Successful athletic training programs should help students develop a desire to work within the athletic training profession while providing adequate preparation for them to enter the workforce. Understanding athletic training students' perceptions of the profession as they leave programs and the factors that influence these perceptions is critical in ensuring retention of graduating students in the field. Objective To examine senior athletic training students' [SATSs] attitudes, opinions, and perceptions of the athletic training profession and to gain insight into the factors that influence their career choice. Design Qualitative study. Setting Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited athletic training education programs. Patients or Other Participants A total of 26 SATSs (7 men, 19 women) who graduated in 2011. Main Outcome Measure(s) We collected data using semistructured phone interviews and implemented a grounded theory approach to analyze the data. We used member checks and multiple-analyst triangulation strategies to establish the trustworthiness of the data. Results The SATSs reported positive and negative perceptions about the profession within 2 major categories: (1) aspects of the profession and (2) public understanding of the profession. “Aspects of the profession” was described by long hours/schedule, low salary, family conflict issues, future of the profession, dynamism of the profession, and profession people enjoy. The “Public understanding of the profession” was articulated by public misconception and a lack of respect for the profession. Factors that influence their perceptions are related to prior experience with athletic training/sports, clinical experiences, and interaction with athletic training professionals. Conclusions The SATSs have developed positive and negative perceptions about the profession through their professional preparations. These are influenced by their progression through the program wherein they develop confidence and feel prepared to enter the workforce with a better understanding of and passion for the profession.


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