| The Post-Certification Graduate Education (PCGE) Standards and Guidelines for athletic training are intended to provide a potential framework for post-certification graduate programs to obtain accreditation from the National Athletic Trainers' Association. For accreditation to have value, it must be meaningful. In this case, accreditation must be an indicator for quality. However, it is unknown whether the new standards encompass athletic training educators' perceptions of quality for graduate education, or whether accreditation under these guidelines will be a meaningful quality indicator.; The purposes of this study were to: (a) identify predominant contributors to quality for post-certification graduate education (PCGE) in athletic training, (b) determine if new accreditation guidelines reflect athletic training educators' perceptions of quality for post-certification graduate education, and (c) determine if there is a significant difference in perceived contributors to quality between different categories of athletic training educators.; This descriptive research study initially defines the construct of quality for post-certification graduate education in athletic training through the survey of over three hundred fifty athletic training educators throughout the United States of America. The survey instrument consisted of a demographic section, a close-ended 23 item 4-point questionnaire section, and an open-ended question section.; Quantitative data for close-ended questionnaire items were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Responses indicated only moderate support for accreditation at the PCGE level. Results also indicted a division among athletic training educators over the contribution of research to quality in post-certification graduate education.; Qualitative results listed in descending order indicated that curriculum, research, faculty/administration, clinical experience, students, and evaluation were deemed the major contributors to quality.; Quantitative results of section three of the survey, in rank order by mean, indicated that adequate number of qualified faculty, the program director's strong academic orientation and interest in student professional preparation, and goals and objectives related to enhancing students' critical thinking skills were the greatest contributors to quality. Research related considerations ranked last in ranked order by means. |
