Instilling Foundation Behaviors of Professional Practice in Undergraduate Athletic Training Students: A Grounded Theory Study

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to investigate the implementation of the Foundational Behaviors of Professional Practice in undergraduate athletic training education program curriculums accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education [CAATE]. Specifically, this study examined the educational and assessment practices currently being used in CAATE-approved programs and the confidence participants have in the effectiveness of those practices.;The study involved 91 participants who had an average of 9.63 years experience in the role of undergraduate athletic training education program directors. All ten National Athletic Trainers' Association districts were represented.;In the tradition of Strauss and Corbin (2008), the grounded theory embedded in the study to emerge was that the instillation of the behaviors found in the Foundational Behaviors of Professional Practice will primarily occur during the clinical experience in an implicit way via student mentoring through modeling by the approved clinical instructors (ACIs). The results of this study also found that there is high variability in confidence levels of ACIs' abilities to fulfill this role effectively. Implications of the emergent theory suggests more attention needs to be given to selection and training of ACIs and to assessment of student mentoring through modeling by the ACI to assure high confidence that the common values of the athletic training profession are being instilled in students of undergraduate athletic training education programs.