DISSERTATION APPROVAL PAGE - Auburn University Theses and

167 Pages·2007·1.34 MB·English

ANALYSIS OF CLINICAL EXPERIENCES IN ATHLETIC TRAINING
EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND PERFORMANCE ON THE
BOC CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION

Except where reference is made to the work of others, the work described in this thesis is
My own or was done in collaboration with my advisory committee. This thesis does not
include proprietary or classified information

__________________________________
James Shelby Searcy, Jr.

Certificate of Approval:

_________________________ _________________________
David Shannon Peter Hastie, Chair
Professor Professor
Educational Foundations, Health and Human Performance
Leadership, and Technology

_________________________ _________________________
Henry N. Williford Joe F. Pittman
Professor Interim Dean
Foundations, Secondary, and Graduate School
Physical Education
ANALYSIS OF CLINICAL EXPERIENCES IN ATHLETIC TRAINING
EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND PERFORMANCE ON THE
BOC CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION

James Shelby Searcy, Jr.

A Dissertation
Submitted to
the Graduate Faculty of
Auburn University
in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the
Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy

Auburn, Alabama
December 15, 2006
ANALYSIS OF CLINICAL EXPERIENCES IN ATHLETIC TRAINING
EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND PERFORMANCE ON THE
BOC CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION

James Shelby Searcy, Jr.

Permission is granted to Auburn University to make copies of this dissertation at its
direction, upon request of individuals or institutions and at their expense. The author
reserves all publication rights.

__________________________
Signature of Author

__________________________
Date of Graduation

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VITA
James Shelby Searcy, Jr., son of J. Shelby and Rachel (McDonald) Searcy, was
born December 6, 1959, in Andalusia, Alabama. He graduated from Greenville High
School in 1978. In August, 1978, he entered Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education in
December, 1982. He entered Graduate School at Auburn University in May, 1983, and
received a Master of Education degree in Health and Human Performance in August,
1984. After a career as an athletic trainer in which he served as a collegiate head athletic
trainer, clinical athletic trainer, and coordinator of sports medicine, he reentered the
Graduate School in January of 2000, to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree at Auburn
University. He currently serves as an assistant professor in the Human Performance
program at Huntingdon College, Montgomery, Alabama. He is married to the former
Allison Godwin, daughter of Jesse and Martha Godwin of Greenville, Alabama.

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DISSERTATION ABSTRACT

ANALYSIS OF CLINICAL EXPERIENCES IN ATHLETIC TRAINING

EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND PERFORMANCE ON THE

BOC CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION

James Shelby Searcy, Jr.

Doctor of Philosophy, December 15, 2006
(M.Ed., Auburn University, 1984)
(B.S. Louisiana State University, 1982)

167 Typed Pages

Directed by Peter Hastie

The purpose of this study was to identify the general design of the clinical
education experience and determine which factors of this experience might influence
performance on the BOC Certification Examination. Part 1 of the study utilized a 47-item
Internet questionnaire to gather information from ATEP program directors concerning the
design of their clinical education experiences and instruments used to evaluate the level
of proficiency achieved by athletic training students. Part 2 of the study involved the use
of a 33-item questionnaire to gather information from certified athletic trainers who
passed the BOC examination in 2005. General information concerning clinical education
experiences and performance on the certification examination was collected. Both
questionnaires included closed-ended items with appropriate space for expressing
comments.
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Responses from both program directors and ATCs helped develop a fairly
consistent design to the clinical education experience. Students are typically admitted to
the ATEP during the second or third academic term of enrollment. The clinical education
experiences will general last 5 to 6 terms, include 5 to 6 clinical experiences, and include
placement in 2 to 3 clinical settings. Student to ACI ratios are generally low, 3 to 4
students per ACI. Students are evaluated frequently and consistently throughout the
educational experiences.
Logistic regression analysis of factors associated with the clinical education
experience identified GPA and an early start to the clinical experiences as potential
predictors for passing the written simulation and practical parts of the certification
examination on the first attempt. MANOVA procedures determined statistically
significant relationship between the number of clinical settings and performance on parts
of the examination. Post hoc analysis identified number of clinical settings does not have
a significant effect of passing both the written simulation and practical parts of the
examination, but does influence passing at least one of these two parts of the
examination. These results support the rotation of students through 3 or more different
clinical settings during the clinical education experience
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to express my appreciation to each committee member for the
guidance and support each has provided during this project --Doctors: Peter Hastie,
David Shannon, and Hank Williford. I would like to thank Mr. Lauren Russell for his
assistance with the web publishing of the survey questionnaires and data collection.
Appreciation is also extended to the staff of the Board of Certification of Athletic
Trainers for their efforts to assist with the verification of participants’ examination
scores. Recognition is likewise extended to those program directors and certified athletes
trainers who completed the questionnaires despite busy schedules.
I am greatly indebted to Allison, Tyler, Mac, and Jennifer Leigh for the patience
and understanding they have shown during the years that I have worked to complete this
degree and research project. Words cannot express my heart-felt gratitude for the
sacrifices each of you have made so I might complete this project. I also thank my parent
for the encouragement they have continuously provided throughout my education.
I also thank my fellow faculty members and the administration at Huntingdon
College for the encouragement and support they have shown over the years as I have
worked to complete this degree.

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Style manual or journal used: APA Manual

Computer software used: Microsoft Word

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................xi

I. Introduction ............................................................................................................1
Purpose of the Study .........................................................................................6
Research Question ............................................................................................7
Significance of the Study ..................................................................................7
Operational Definitions .....................................................................................9
Limitations of the Study ..................................................................................10
Assumptions of the Study ...............................................................................10

II. Review of Literature...............................................................................................12
Assessment in Higher Education ....................................................................12
Assessing Competency in Higher Education ..................................................15
Development of an Assessment Method .........................................................19
Assessment of Medical and Allied Health Students .......................................21
Assessment of Students Clinical Skills in Medical Education
Programs .........................................................................................................28

III. Analysis of Clinical Education Experiences in Athletic Training
Education Programs ..............................................................................................49
Introduction .....................................................................................................49
Methods ...........................................................................................................55
Results .............................................................................................................58
Discussion....................................................................................................... 71
Conclusion ......................................................................................................75
Bibliography ...................................................................................................77

IV. Clinical Education Experiences of Athletic Training Students
and Performance on the BOC Certification Examination .....................................79
Introduction .....................................................................................................79
Methods ...........................................................................................................84
Results .............................................................................................................86
Discussion .....................................................................................................105
Conclusion ....................................................................................................110
Bibliography .................................................................................................112
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V. Summary ............................................................................................................114

Bibliography ...................................................................................................................117

Appendix..........................................................................................................................128
Survey of Evaluation Methods used for the Assessment of
Clinical Proficiencies ..........................................................................................129
Cover Letter ........................................................................................................140
Consent Form ......................................................................................................141
Follow-up Notification ........................................................................................144
An Assessment of Methods used to Evaluation Athletic Training
Students During the Clinical Experience and Performance on the
BOC Examination ...............................................................................................145
Cover Letter ........................................................................................................151
Consent Form ......................................................................................................153
Follow-up Post-card ............................................................................................155
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