Differences Between Self-Efficacy and Course Engagement Scores Among Postsecondary Academic Cohorts of Athletic Training Students

Athletic Training Students’ (ATS) self-efficacy and course engagement during their educational development and clinical experiences influence their ability to provide proficient health care for physically active individuals. The various classifications of postsecondary academic cohorts of ATS enrolled within Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) accredited postsecondary Athletic Training Programs (ATP) portray divergent levels of self-efficacy and student course engagement. The purpose of this research study was to investigate differences between perceived self-efficacy and course engagement scores among postsecondary academic cohorts. A quantitative, causal-comparative research study employed two survey instruments: The College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES) developed by Owen and Froman (1988); and the Student Course Engagement Questionnaire (SCEQ) developed by Handelsman, Briggs, Sullivan, and Towler (2005). This study included a convenience sample of 112 participants (N = 112; male, n = 29; female n = 83) enrolled in a CAATE-accredited postsecondary ATP within the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Trainers’ Association (MAATA). A one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to determine significant differences in composite mean scores on the CASES and the SCEQ among the postsecondary ATS academic cohorts. The results of the one-way MANOVA were not significant, and the null hypothesis failed to be rejected at the 95% confidence level (alpha level of 0.05), where F(6, 214) = 1.389, p = 0.220, Wilks\u27 Λ = 0.926; partial η2 = 0.037, suggesting there are no significant differences on the dependent variables (CASES and SCEQ) among the independent variable (academic cohorts of athletic training students). The effect size as measured by partial eta squared was medium (η2 = 0.037). Implications from this study suggest the importance of student course engagement and self-efficacy as they progress throughout the ATP. In addition, athletic training faculty’s emphasizing the need for mentoring academic cohorts toward successfully achieving self-efficacy and course engagement within students’ academic coursework and clinical education experiences. Recommendations for further research studies were made