scholarly journals Student Perceptions of Soft Skills Activities in Professional Level Athletic Training Programs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Davlin-Pater ◽  
Elisabeth Rosencrum
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Soft Skill ◽  
Professional Behaviors ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Learning Modules

Purpose: Educators should not assume that students will acquire the soft skills and professional behaviors that are valued without instruction and guided practice. Early establishment of a positive professional identity may empower and motivate students to work towards excellence. We sought to explore and describe student perceptions of online learning modules designed to promote soft skill development in professional level athletic training students early in their education program. Methods: A qualitative approach was used. We designed a course curriculum using a series of online learning modules to promote the development of soft skills and the appreciation of professional values. It was implemented at two universities with professional-level masters of athletic training programs. Students completed the curriculum in the first term in their respective programs. Participants included a convenience sample of 14 students enrolled in two masters-level professional athletic training programs. We invited students enrolled in two targeted programs to participate in the study by email and in person. We collected data in the form of survey and semi structured focus group interview responses as well as student artifacts from the courses. We analyzed the data in an ongoing, inductive, constant comparative manner, and the researchers used peer debriefing and member checking to enhance data trustworthiness. Results: Participants appreciated attention to professional behaviors in a modality that was time-efficient and through a scope relevant to their practice. Three main themes emerged from the data including the value of soft skills, interpersonal communication and collaboration, and personal growth. Conclusions: Athletic training educators should consider overt attention to teaching soft skills and professional behaviors. Educators should also consider doing so in a manner that is perceived as valuable to students.

scholarly journals Program Directors' Perception of the Importance of Soft Skills in Athletic Training

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-58
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Kutz ◽  
Sara Stiltner
Keyword(s):  
Athletic Training ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Athletic Training Education ◽  
Program Directors ◽  
Assessment Instrument ◽  
Soft Skill ◽  
Paired Samples ◽  
Perceived Importance ◽  
National Athletic Trainers Association

Context Soft skills have been reported to be a necessary aspect of athletic training education and clinical practice. However, almost no empirical research has explored the level of importance of soft skills or the frequency with which they are evaluated within athletic training education. Objective To delineate the perceived importance of soft skills within athletic training education and describe the frequency with which those soft skills are evaluated within athletic training programs. Patients or Other Participants Four hundred eight program directors (PDs) of Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited athletic training programs were invited to patriciate; 122 responded and 108 of those responses (88.5%) were usable (64% PDs of baccalaureate programs, 28% PDs of professional masters, 8% did not disclose), yielding a 26.5% response rate. All 10 National Athletic Trainers' Association districts were represented, with the highest representation (26%) from District 4. A majority of respondents were female (57%). Most respondents (79%) had 11 or more years of experience (33% of those ≥21 years) as an athletic training educator, and 98% of respondents identified as white/non-Hispanic. Main Outcome Measure(s) Importance and frequency of soft-skill evaluation were measured using the Athletic Training Soft-Skills Assessment Instrument (ATSSAI). Data of perceived importance and frequency of evaluation were organized by various demographic variables and between scale dimensions. Results The ATSSAI psychometric analysis yielded satisfactory internal consistency and validity (α = .84 to .93). Paired-samples t test indicated significant differences between the ATSSAI Perceived Importance and Frequency of Evaluation scales (mean = 1.65 ± .47 versus mean = 3.29 ± 1.17, P = .000; Cohen d = 1.83). Pearson r correlation showed a positive relationship between perceived importance and frequency of evaluation, r = 0.81. Independent-samples t tests revealed female PDs perceived 2 soft skills (18%; observant and exact and prepared and adaptable) as more important (t99 = 2.12 and 2.18, P = .31 and .37) than did male PDs and evaluated 3 (27%; decisive and confident, prepared and adaptable, and observant and exact) more frequently (t99 = 2.35–2.50, P = .14–.21) than did male PDs. Conclusions All soft skills identified as necessary for inclusion in athletic training education were perceived to be very or extremely important by PDs. However, those same soft skills were not evaluated as often as their importance might suggest. Dependability and responsibility was the most important and most frequently evaluated soft skill (mean = 1.31 ± .51 and 2.21 ± 1.30, respectively). Female PDs generally perceived soft skills as more important and reported evaluating them more frequently. Soft-skill development is a tacit-based phenomenon that contributes to leadership effectiveness and clinical preparedness.

scholarly journals Design and Evaluation of an Athletic Training Educational Escape Room

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 241-249
Author(s):  
Christina Davlin-Pater
Keyword(s):  
Training Program ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Teaching Strategy ◽  
Master's Level ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
Paired Samples ◽  
Quasi Experimental

Context The educational escape room is an innovative teaching strategy, and the use of this technique is gaining popularity in some health care disciplines. It is believed to promote acquisition of knowledge and skills, increase motivation, and encourage engagement, critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving. Objective To describe the use of an innovative educational escape room in a master's-level athletic training course and to examine learning effectiveness and students' perceptions. Design Quasi-experimental. Setting A Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited master's-level athletic training program. Patients or Other Participants A convenience sample of 14 students enrolled in a master's-level professional athletic training program participated. Intervention(s) Educational escape room. Main Outcome Measures(s) A paired-samples t test was used to determine differences between preactivity and postactivity knowledge-assessment scores. Measures of central tendency were used for survey questions related to student perceptions of the activity. Student perceptions were assessed after the intervention. Results All participants completed the preactivity and postactivity knowledge assessments. The difference in scores was found to be statistically significant (t13 = −4.502, P = .001), with a large effect size (Cohen d = 1.32). Participants thought the escape room was an effective way to improve their knowledge of course materials (mean ± SD = 5.0 ± 0.0) and encouraged them to apply course material in a new way (mean ± SD = 4.9 ± 0.27). Participants reported that they had fun (mean ± SD = 5.0 ± 0.0) and felt that the activity was immersive (mean ± SD = 5.0 ± 0.00). Qualitative elements from the postactivity survey corroborated the data. Conclusions The education escape room described in this study promoted learning while providing a fun and engaging learning experience with positive perceived value.

Graduate readiness for the employment market of the 4th industrial revolution

2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 590-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weili Teng ◽  
Chenwei Ma ◽  
Saeed Pahlevansharif ◽  
Jason James Turner
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
The Other ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Soft Skill ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Malaysian Students

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is, first, to examine student perspectives of their university experience in terms of the soft employability skills they develop; second, how prepared those students feel for the future employment market and finally investigate whether there are differences in perceptions between Chinese and Malaysian students given their different educational experience.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, 361 predominantly Chinese undergraduate students at two universities, one in China and the other in Malaysia completed the 15-item Goldsmiths soft skills inventory using an online survey.FindingsThe results, analysed using factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, indicated that the university curriculum develops student soft skills, particularly in the Malaysian university and supports the relationship between soft skill and student preparedness for employment. The results also indicate that compared with the respondents from the Chinese university, the Malaysian university respondents were more likely to be positive to statements concerning their respective university’s ability to develop their soft skills.Research limitations/implicationsSuch findings have implications for education providers and business in that it is important for universities to embed soft skills into the curriculum in order to develop graduate work readiness.Originality/valueWhat this research contributes is not only consolidation of existing research in the contemporary context of a disruptive jobs market, it takes research forward through analysing student perceptions from two universities, one in Malaysia and the other in China, of the skills they develop at university and the importance of soft skills to them and their perceptions of future employment and employability. Such research will provide insight, in particular, into the role of education providers, the phenomena of underemployment among graduates in China, and be of practical significance to employers and their perception that graduates lack the necessary soft skills for the workplace (Anonymous, 2017a; Stapleton, 2017; British Council, 2015; Chan, 2015).

scholarly journals Student perceptions of athletic training preceptor traits and their effects on board of certification examination outcomes

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jennifer JH Huseman
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Athletic Training Students ◽  
Certification Examination ◽  
Professional Programs ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Board Of Certification ◽  
Preceptor Effectiveness

This study explored the perceptions Athletic Training Students' harbored of the traits of preceptors they have been assigned. The preceptor characteristics examined in this study were nurturing, contemplative, consolidative, management, inspirational, and rigorous. These perceived traits of preceptors were then compared to Athletic Training Programs who were compliant and non-compliant with CAATE Standard 11 for Professional Programs. The study investigated whether there would be a significant difference in any of the trait characteristics between programs in compliance and non-compliance with Standard 11. This was a quantitative study in which data were collected via Preceptor Effectiveness Survey. The data were analyzed through SPSS 23 using descriptive statistics and MANOVA. The MANOVA failed to result in a significant multivariate effect, however, the univariate results indicated a significant difference between programs (p less than.05) for the "rigorous" trait, F(1, 105) = 7.210, p = 0.008. Overall, noncompliant programs presented lower mean scores on all traits when compared to compliant schools. The study can offer evidence for effective preceptor traits in programs with successful Board of Certification (BOC) outcomes. This could be utilized to improve training, recruitment, hiring, establishing appropriate student-preceptor ratios to individual preceptors, and enhancing the overall student clinical experience.

scholarly journals Scribe Hero: An Online Teaching and Learning Approach for the Development of Writing Skills in the Undergraduate Classroom

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly Francis ◽  
Meagan Troop ◽  
Jodie Salter ◽  
Rosheeka Parahoo ◽  
Lucia Costanzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Learning Modules

This study examined whether or not writing skills could be taught to post-secondary students via online learning modules and what student perceptions of such a learning process were like. A pilot study of the modules developed—called Scribe Hero—was conducted in the Fall of 2017. Statistical analysis of quantitative data reveals an improvement in student writing skills following their engagement with the online learning modules. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed that the students were engaged by the experience, finding it educational and refreshingly different from in-class options. The feedback also suggested that user-friendly technology, tone of the online environment, incentivising meaningful feedback, and maintaining a sense of direct applicability of content are essential to capitalising on this sort of teaching and learning methodology. Overall, the findings of this small-scale research study support further development of this technology while also offering lessons that can be transferred to other contexts for teaching writing.

Cultivation of Engineering Soft Skills Within the Constraints of a Prescribed Curriculum

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Varghese Panthalookaran
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Real World ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Skill Training ◽  
Soft Skill ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Gradual Development ◽  
Prescribed Curriculum

Engineering soft skills are required of an engineer to excel in his/her career and profession. For engineering education institutions affiliated to a central university and working with a prescribed curriculum, it is often difficult to find time for real-world training of students in soft skills. The current paper summarizes the programs designed for undergraduate engineering students of an affiliated engineering institution in order to circumvent this problem. They integrate training in engineering soft skills with the regular academic schedule exerting minimal extra-loading for the students and ensuring individual attention. The distribution of training programs in time also facilitates natural and gradual development of the values, attitudes and soft-skills. Further, integration of soft skill training programs into regular academic schedule enhances the interest of students in academics.

THE ANALYSIS OF NURSING STUDENT SOFT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN LECTURE AND PROBLEM BASED LEARNING APPROACHES 2011

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Hilman Syarif
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Students ◽  
Nursing Student ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
P Value ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Soft Skill ◽  
Student Centered Learning ◽  
Hard Skills ◽  
Significant Difference

Introduction: Student Centered Learning (SCL) is an effective method to develop student's soft skills and hard skills which are very important to support their successful carrier later. This research was conducted to identify the differences of developed soft skills between students who learn with PBL method and lecturing method. Methods: Descriptive comparative method was used in this study. The samples consisted of 15 students who learned with PBL method and 15 students who learned with lecturing method. The sample for this research was selected by random sampling method. Results: The result showed that the average of student's soft skills score in PBL method was 122.63, while student's soft skills score in lecturing method was 116.27. Discussion & Conclusion: There was significant difference of student's soft skills in PBL method and lecturing method (p value = 0.038; α = 0.05). This study recommends nursing program management, faculty of medicine at the University of Syiah Kuala keeps PBL method running and develops other methods which facilitate hard skills and soft skills are development. Keywords: nursing students, soft skill, PBL

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