AbstractTHE DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION OF COGNITIVE AND CLINICAL SKILLS IN UNDERGRADUATE ATHLETIC TRAINING EDUCATION PROGRAMS: A SURVEY OF RECENTLY CERTIFIED ATHLETIC ByBrian Anthony Bratta, MS, ATC, CSCSAthletic training education began as an apprenticeship program in which students took a base level of classes while gaining a large portion of their training in the clinical setting. Current education standards have evolved into a full academic curriculum governed by an accrediting body. The increase in curriculum initiated recognition of athletic training as an allied health profession as well as creating a base level of knowledge for all athletic training students prior to sitting for the national certification exam. With this progression, an increase in textbook knowledge is expected, as a result skills are being overlooked that were developed during the field experiences of the apprenticeship, skills such as interpersonal relations and professional development. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of newly certified athletic trainers (ATs) regarding the development and integration of skills in their athletic training education program. Specifically, the instruction of clinical skills, interpersonal skills and professional personal development based on the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) standards. Along with determining the level of development and integration, determination of the level of importance of the classroom, laboratory and field settings was also identified.Individuals that were members of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) and had successfully completed their national certification exam within the previous 18 months received an e-mail invitation to complete an online survey. One hundred fifty-four respondents (8.65% response rate) completed the survey with an average certification time of 11.68 months. The primary employment setting with the highest frequency rate (36.4%) was collegiate- NCAA division, while the second highest frequency (22.1%) was the High School setting. "In the classroom" had the highest frequency of responses for general CAATE skills (52.9%), interpersonal skills (49.3%) and professional personal development (44.8%) for area of development and integration of skills. Respondents identified the field as the highest level of importance followed by the classroom and the laboratory setting for all of the three categories. Utilizing a Pearson correlation test, there was no statistically significant difference between class size of athletic training education program and level of development and integration in each of the three categories. There was also no association between collegiate division of competition and perceived level of development and integration of skills among respondents. According to the data compiled in this research, the majority of the respondents for each of the three categories identified "In the classroom" as the main area for development and integration of skills in their athletic training education. When differentiating between the classroom, laboratory and field settings, respondents placed a high level of importance on the field setting above the classroom and laboratory settings.
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