The Effect of Self-Reported Efficacy on Clinical Skill Performance

Context: Self-efficacy can enhance an individual\u27s perception of their ability to perform a challenging task. Objective: To determine whether repeated performance of a skill would improve students\u27 self-efficacy across a range of academic classifications. Design: Cohort study. Setting: Graduate and undergraduate professional athletic training education programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. Participants: Twenty-seven athletic training students (sophomores, n = 10; juniors, n = 10; graduate, n = 7). Intervention: We assessed participants within one day of performing a psychomotor clinical skill (PCS) of joint mobilizations or an upper quarter screen before (PCS1) and after (PCS2) a video intervention. The video that provided augmented feedback was viewed between PCS1 and PCS2. Main Outcome Measures: Outcome measures included self-efficacy scores from the Clinical Skill Performance Self-Efficacy Form assessed over five time points throughout the learning period, PCS performance scores pre- and post-intervention, and the correlation between these measures. Results: Following the intervention, PCS performance significantly improved in sophomores and juniors (Bonferonni post-hoc, P \u3c .001); graduate students performed at a similar high level on PCS1 and PCS2 (Bonferonni post-hoc, P = .72). Academic classification affected baseline self-efficacy with graduate students reporting higher self-efficacy compared to sophomores (9.7 ± 4.1) and juniors (19.1 ± 4.1) (Bonferroni posthoc, P \u3c .001). All groups experienced an increase in self-efficacy ahead of PCS1 with sophomores displaying a further increase between PCS1 and PCS2. With combined participants, we noted a positive correlation between self-efficacy assessed immediately following PCS1 and performance on PCS1 (r = 0.502, P = 0.007), and between relative increases in self-efficacy assessed immediately after PCS performance and relative increases in performance from PCS1 to PCS2 (r = 0.533, P = 0.02). Conclusions: The intervention positively affected performance in those who initially scored low. Students who reported higher degrees of self-efficacy immediately after the first PCS performance also performed better on this PCS. Student self-efficacy and PCS skill performance can be improved with the use of video feedback