ERIC Number: EJ1329046
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1947-380X
EISSN: N/A
Professional Master's Athletic Training Students' Career Influences Part II: Short-Term and Long-Term Career Intentions
Nokes, Ryan D.; Pitney, William A.; Nottingham, Sara; Bowman, Thomas G.
Athletic Training Education Journal, v17 n1 p64-74 Jan-Mar 2022
Context: As athletic training education continues to evolve to a professional master's degree, understanding the career intentions of students preparing to graduate from professional master's programs is essential. Objective: To examine the career intentions of second-year professional master's athletic training students and identify the factors that influence their intentions. Design: Convergent mixed methods. Setting: Online surveys and individual phone interviews. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 80 second-year professional master's students (63 women, 13 men, 4 no response, age = 24.63 ± 2.29 years) who were enrolled in the final semester of their program in spring 2019 participated in the online survey. Ten survey respondents participated in follow-up phone interviews. Data Collection and Analysis: An online survey was designed and administered to answer the research questions. Semistructured phone interviews were conducted as a follow-up to the survey to gain further insight into the research questions. The data from the survey and interviews were woven together and merged to provide a comprehensive display of results. Triangulation, member checks, memos, and peer debriefing were completed for trustworthiness. Results: Two higher-order themes emerged from the data: career progression and factors influencing career intentions. We identified 3 lower-order themes for career progression: short-term career plans, concerns over lack of experience, and long-term career plans. Two lower-order themes were identified for factors influencing career intentions: clinical experience and mentorship. Conclusions: Second-year professional master's athletic training students have short-term and long-term career plans. Their career intentions were influenced by past clinical experiences and the mentorship received from their clinical preceptors and faculty members during their professional education. Unfortunately, many students were having difficulty obtaining positions after graduation due to a lack of professional experience. As a result, some turned to internship or residency positions to gain experience. [For Part I, see EJ1329044.]
Descriptors: Athletics, Training, Allied Health Occupations Education, Allied Health Occupations, Masters Programs, Graduate Students, Career Choice, Career Planning, Intention, Clinical Experience, Career Development, Socialization, Mentors
National Athletic Trainers' Association. 2952 Stemmons Freeway Suite 200, Dallas, TX 75247. Tel: 214-637-6282; Fax: 214-637-2206; e-mail: ATEdJournal@gmail.com; Web site: https://meridian.allenpress.com/atej
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A