Student and supervisor perceptions of the quality of supervision in athletic training education

Abstract

Objective: To assess the perceptions of the quality of athletic training supervision via the internship route to certification and the NATA-approved/CAAHEP programs.

Design and setting: A questionnaire was mailed to head athletic trainers or NATA/CAAHEP program directors and athletic training students in 40 programs nationwide (stratified random sample).

Subjects: Head athletic trainers (20), NATA-approved or CAAHEP-accredited program directors (20), and athletic training students in those educational programs (149).

Measurements: The Athletic Training Supervisory Skills Inventory (ATSSI) was adapted from the Supervisory Evaluation Form (SEF) and athletic training literature. The ATSSI was reviewed by 30 certified athletic trainers, and their feedback was incorporated into the final version of the questionnaire. The ATSSI contains 46 questions that cover six major domains of athletic training supervisor behavior.

Results: Overall, there were no differences in how internship route supervisors and NATA/CAAHEP program directors rated their own supervisory skills. Also, there were few differences in how students in those two types of athletic training education programs rated their supervisors.

Conclusions: This exploratory study's limitations included a one-time assessment approach and a small sample of supervisors. Future studies in supervision should take a longitudinal approach and include a larger sample size.