Context: Validity arguments can be used to provide evidence that instructors are drawing accurate conclusions from the results of students' clinical performance assessments (PAs). Little research has been conducted in athletic training education to determine if the evidence supports the use of current PAs. Measurement theories designed to…

Academic freedom is defined as the "freedom of the individual scholar to pursue truth wherever it leads, without fear of punishment or of termination of employment for having offended some political, methodological, religious, or social orthodoxy." Currently there is paucity of literature addressing the issue of academic freedom specific to…

Context: Before new strategies and effective techniques for implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) into athletic training curricula can occur, it is crucial to recognize the current knowledge and understanding of EBP concepts among athletic training educators. Objective: To assess athletic training educators' current knowledge, comfort,…

Context: Acquiring input from all stakeholders on the importance of existing competencies and suggestions for new ones is essential to competency-based pedagogical design quality. Objective: To survey athletic trainers (ATs) employed in clinical settings to assess their perceptions of the competencies most pertinent to their settings and whether…

Context: Instrument validation is an important facet of survey research methods and athletic trainers must be aware of the important underlying principles. Objective: To discuss the process of survey development and validation, specifically the process of construct validation. Background: Athletic training researchers frequently employ the use of…

Objective: The purpose of this article is to discuss the process of developing and validating an instrument to investigate an athletic trainer's attitudes and behaviors regarding the recognition and treatment of exertional heat stroke. Background: Following up from our initial paper, which discussed the process of survey instrument design and…

Context: While evidence-based practice (EBP) concepts are being taught in health profession education programs, models of instruction and effectiveness of these models are not evident in athletic training. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Evidence-Based Teaching Model (EBTM) in increasing student knowledge, attitudes, and use of…

Context: To understand and appropriately implement competency-based education (CBE) to its fullest potential in professional programs, an investigation of its evolution is required. Objective: To reveal the development of the CBE approach now dominating many professional programs in higher education, including Athletic Training Education Programs…

Context: Where a professional athletic training education program (ATEP) should be housed within a college/university has been a topic of discussion for many years. While individual institutions have unique preferences and priorities that suit its specific situation, it is essential that the field as a whole develops a consistent and cohesive…

The educational preparation of athletic training students is a daunting experience for athletic training educators (ATEs) as they are often faced with many external (eg, accreditation, lack of resources) and internal (eg, lack of comfort with a subject area, role strain) challenges. Regardless of these challenges, the success of an athletic…

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the perceptions, values, and experiences of individuals involved in peer assisted learning (PAL) in the clinical setting of an athletic training education program. Design and Setting: A qualitative research approach borrowing from grounded theory was used. Subjects: 15 participants, consisting…

Context: Grief is something that will touch all of us. We expect loss to occur in our personal lives and seem to be somewhat prepared for how to cope with it when it happens. In the profession of athletic training, we may not expect loss to occur as readily--especially if we are working with a young, seemingly healthy population. As such, when an…

The purpose of this literature review is to compare both clinical instructor and student perceptions of helpful and hindering clinical instructor characteristics, behaviors and skills in athletic training and allied health care settings. Clinical education in athletic training is similar to that of other allied health care professions. Clinical…

Objective: To present an alternative model of supervision within clinical education experiences. Background: Several years ago direct supervision was defined more clearly in the accreditation standards for athletic training education programs (ATEPs). Currently, athletic training students may not gain any clinical experience without their clinical…

Objectives: To examine methods used to evaluate the clinical competence and proficiency of students in medicine and allied health professions. To identify factors that would be valuable to educators in athletic training and other medical and allied health professions in the development and use of clinical assessment methods. Data Sources: We…