Date of Graduation

2005

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

Objective. To investigate program coherence and its influence on educational experiences within one outstanding, Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program (CAAHEP)-accredited Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP) and to determine the extent to which program goals, espoused theory, and CAAHEP guidelines are reflected within interview responses from recent alumni, students, clinical staff, and faculty and course documents. Design and setting. Students, recent alumni, clinical staff, and faculty from one, CAAHEP-accredited ATEP provided in-depth interview responses pertaining to educational experiences based on the Athletic Training-Coherence Assessment Protocol (AT-CAP). Responses were compared with current course documents: handbooks, syllabi, assignments, handouts and field notes from didactic and clinical settings. Subjects. Twenty-three participants including: 10 students (6 females, 4 males), 7 clinical instructors (3 females, 4 males), 4 recent alumni (2 females, 2 males) and 2 faculty (2 males) were interviewed based on the AT-CAP. This examined their awareness of how learning experiences were delivered and experienced throughout the program. Measurements. Member-checked, interview responses corresponding with each AT-CAP indicator were analyzed using MAXqda2© qualitative data-analysis software. Data from all 5 sources (course documents, recent alumni, student, instructor and faculty interviews) were coded into categories and then triangulated to confirm authenticity. Results. Based on the AT-CAP the program was determined to have a moderate level of coherence. Program goals were explicitly identified by all participants. The structure, sequence and conduct of curricular experiences, beyond formal descriptions contributed to successful completion of program goals, and student outcomes following curricular experiences reflected program goals and CAAHEP standards. Conclusions. The AT-CAP provided a rich description of the athletic training educational experience. Competition, coherence and affiliation appeared to be critical components in this highly successful program. Students hold ambiguous expectations for faculty and clinical instructors. A dichotomy exists between appropriate supervision and student autonomy. Time commitment and certain clinical experiences may negatively socialize female athletic training students to the field of athletic training. Opportunities for students to be exposed to authentic, practical applications of research are rare.

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