Mentoring Processes in Higher Education: Perspectives of Junior Athletic Training Faculty Members

Purpose: Mentorship is a valuable mechanism of socializing faculty members to higher education, but understanding of how mentoring relationships develop is limited. The purpose of this study was to seek a more complete understanding of how mentoring relationships develop for junior faculty members, and how these effective mentoring relationships can be fostered. Method: A qualitative, phenomenological design was used to examine junior athletic training faculty members’ experiences with mentoring. Twenty athletic training faculty members: 14 women, 6 men, 32±3 years of age and averaged 2.4±2.1 years as a full-time faculty member in an accredited athletic training program participated in this study. Participants completed one telephone interview, which was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed with an inductive phenomenological approach. Data saturation was obtained Trustworthiness strategies included peer review and the use of multi-analyst triangulation. Results: Junior faculty participated in informal and formal mentoring relationships that evolved over time, which aided their transition from doctoral student to full-time faculty member. Additionally, mentoring relationships were strengthened when participants took initiative, engaged in the relationship, and set clear goals. Mentors who exhibit good communication skills, willingness to participate, and genuine interest in the mentee are particularly valuable. Conclusions: Both formal and informal mentoring experiences appear to be valuable for junior faculty members, particularly informal relationships. If institutional mentoring programs are lacking then junior faculty should seek out additional mentoring opportunities. These findings also confirm existing literature on effective mentoring characteristics

Examining the Experiences of Athletic Trainers as they transition into their First Full-Time Position

Transition to clinical practice is an important topic in athletic training, as it can be a period of time that presents challenges for the athletic trainer. Most of the research pertaining to transition to practice focuses on the skills and knowledge necessary for clinical practice, yet we know that stress can manifest from not only being an independent practitioner but also from learning how to balance one’s roles. We wanted to understand the perspective of today’s novice athletic trainers and how they feel in their first full-time position, specifically relating to their professional development and establishment or maintenance of work-life balance (WLB). Using a qualitative paradigm, we phone interviewed athletic trainers who were categorized as career starters by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Using a purposive recruitment strategy we were able to recruit 20 (12 female, 8 male) athletic trainers meeting this classification. General inductive analyses were used to code the data from our interviews, and we satisfied credibility though saturation of the data, peer review, and researcher triangulations during the coding process. Our findings suggest that while confidence in clinical skills is apparent, some of the more administrative aspects of clinical practice present challenges. We found that various employment settings offered various expectations or challenges that had the potential to impact WLB. A blend of professional and organizational processes helped transition the athletic trainer, and although both were helpful each also could be bolstered to improve transitioning for the newly credentialed athletic trainer. Employers of early career starters should be aware of the stress related to transition to practice, and the time it can take to acclimate

Organizational Socialization: Experiences of Junior Faculty in Athletic Training Education Programs

Background: New faculty members become oriented to their new positions through numerous methods, such as institutional mechanisms as well as networking with various individuals. The process of acculturation is often complex, and best understood from a socialization framework. Role transition for the faculty member is often accomplished through professional socialization, or the experiences prior to beginning a faculty position. However, role transition also continues once the newly minted doctoral student is catapulted into employment. This dynamic, on-going process is often seen as organizational socialization. Objective: We sought to understand how Athletic Training faculty members navigate role transition, from doctoral student to faculty member during the pre-tenure years. Procedures: 19 junior Athletic Training faculty members completed semi-structured interviews to discuss their role transition and inductance into higher education. Data were analyzed following a general inductive approach. Credibility was secured through triangulation, peer review, and interpretative member checks. Results: We found that several organizational mechanisms were in place to support this time of role transition: 1) interviews, 2) orientation, 3) professional development activities, and 4) role consistency. Also, internal motivation and individual inquisitiveness supported this transition, as the junior faculty often solicited feedback or advice from others in their department to evaluate what was expected of them and how to succeed while performing their roles

Perceptions of Tenure and Promotion Guidelines and Criteria Among Athletic Training Doctoral Students

Purpose: Evidence suggested that athletic training doctoral candidates are being socialized through a variety of formal and informal experiences to prepare them for roles in higher education. It is unclear, however, if they are aware of the expectations associated with tenure and/or promotion which are necessary for transition into higher education. Perceptions of tenure and promotion among doctoral students preparing to enter the athletic training professoriate were investigated. Methods: Twenty-four students (16=females, 8=males, average age=28±3 years) completed one-on-one telephone interviews. Data were analyzed using a general inductive approach, with a peer review and multiple analyst triangulation completed for rigor. Results: Four primary themes emerged from the data: 1) there is a limited understanding of the guidelines and criteria for tenure and promotion, 2) knowledge of guidelines and criteria is perpetuated by mentoring, 3) research/scholarship is perceived as paramount for success, and 4) the belief that skills gained, regardless of the domain of tenure, can facilitate success in others. Conclusions: The findings suggest that doctoral students in athletic training are partially aware of the guidelines for tenure, but could benefit from additional mentoring

School truancy and welfare receipt dynamics in early adulthood: a longitudinal study

School truancy can lead to a range of negative life outcomes, including criminal behaviour, poor mental health and poor employment outcomes. Other potential life outcomes for truants such as welfare receipt and reliance are not well understood in the truancy literature. This article investigates whether truancy is associated with the receipt of government-paid cash transfers during young peoples’ transition from adolescence to early adulthood. Using data from a longitudinal household panel survey, our study follows 787 high school-attending young people aged 15–21 years, until they are aged 19–25 years. It uses two truancy measures — any truanting and problem truanting — alongside other variables in mixed-effects logistic regression models. This study finds that, over and above the effects of other variables, and compared to non-truants, “any truanting” in adolescence increases the odds of receiving cash transfers over time by 4.5 times, while “problem truanting” increases the odds by 4.8 times. Compared to non-truants, being a truant increases one’s odds of being on an elevated trajectory of cash transfers by 4 to 5 times — depending on one’s truanting frequency — but truants’ and non-truants’ cash transfer trajectories follow the same rate of change over time. This study demonstrates that high school truancy increases one’s odds of receiving government assistance in the years following their truancy, deepening our understanding of the relationship between truancy and later life disadvantage

The Role Mentoring Plays in the Transition to Practice of Newly Credentialed Athletic Trainers

Context: Mentoring has been identified as an important method of supporting newly credentialed athletic trainers (ATs) during their transition to practice. Gaining a better understanding of this relationship could provide valuable insights that may assist employers and professional programs in developing a plan to better facilitate the transition. Objective: To examine which aspects of the mentoring relationship provided the most benefit during the transition to practice of newly certified ATs. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Individual phone interviews. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 13 ATs who graduated from a professional master\u27s program, were certified from February through July 2016, and obtained employment from July through August 2016 participated in this study (6 women, 7 men; age = 26 ± 3 years; work settings included professional sports, college, secondary and middle school, and clinic). Data saturation guided the number of participants. Data Collection and Analysis: Phone interviews using a semistructured interview guide were conducted at 3, 8, and 12 months of work experience. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Credibility was established via investigator triangulation, peer debriefing, and member checks. Participants recognized the mentoring relationship as a foundational aspect of the transition to practice. Mentors should be available by phone, email, or text to answer questions, provide feedback, or discuss ideas. Respondents wanted honest feedback, even when that feedback was constructively critical. Feedback was sought regarding topics such as patient care, communication, and networking. Participants needed reassurance and support from their mentors to help validate and improve their self-confidence. Conclusions: Newly credentialed ATs should seek mentors who will be available to communicate in various ways and will provide regular and constructive feedback. Future researchers should investigate how mentoring relationships influence other aspects of the transition to practice, such as patient care, overall job performance, turnover, and satisfaction

The Role Mentoring Plays in the Transition of Practice of Newly Credentialed Athletic Trainers

Context: Mentoring has been identified as an important method to support newly credentialed athletic trainers during their transition to practice. Gaining a better understanding of this relationship could provide valuable insights that may assist employers and professional programs to develop a plan, which could better facilitate the transition. Objective: To examine what aspects of the mentoring relationship provided the most benefit during transition to practice. Design: Grounded theory. Setting: Individual phone interviews. Patients or Other Participants: 13 athletic trainers who graduated from a professional master\u27s program, were certified between February and July of 2016, and obtained employment between July to August 11 of 2016 participated in this study (6 female, 7 male, 26±3 years; work settings included professional sports, college, secondary and middle school, and clinic). Data saturation guided the number of participants. Data Collection and Analysis: Phone interviews using a semi-structured interview guide were conducted at 3, 8 and twelve months of work experience. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Credibility was established through investigator triangulation, peer debriefing, and member checks. Results: Participants recognized the mentoring relationship as a foundational aspect of the transition to practice. Mentors should be available by phone, email, and/or text and to answer questions, provide feedback and/or discuss ideas. Participants want honest feedback, even when that feedback is constructively critical. Feedback was sought regarding topics such as patient care, communication, and networking. Participants needed reassurance and support from their mentor which helped to validate and improve confidence. Conclusions: Newly credentialed athletic trainers should seek a mentor who will be available to communicate in various ways and provide regular and constructive feedback. Future research should investigate how mentoring relationships influence other aspects of the transition such as patient care, overall job performance, turnover, and satisfaction

Comparing Preceptor and Student Perceptions on Mentoring Characteristics: An Exploratory Study

Key Points: No significant differences exist in students and preceptors perceptions of mentoring. Preceptors and students value professional and interpersonal attributes of mentorship. Gender and ethnicity were not highly rated aspects of mentorship

Factors of Stress, Burnout, and Frustrations Experienced by Athletic Training Students

Purpose: College students are at a risk for increased levels of stress and burnout, and those enrolled in healthcare degree programs are more likely to experience higher levels due to balancing demanding roles. Our purpose was to assess sources of stress, burnout, and/or frustration in athletic training students (ATSs) of different academic standings. Methods: Data were collected through the use of an original, 33-question questionnaire. An inductive approach was used to analyze the data and multiple analyst triangulation and interpretive member checks were used to secure credibility. Results: 27 male and female ATSs from freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior classes from one institution voluntarily participated within this study. We were able to identify distinct themes of stress and burnout for each class of ATSs. Freshman reported concern for the time demand from the major and a desire to have more hands-on activity involved with their clinical education experiences. The sophomores reported feeling stressed regarding the expectation to retain information and the expectations to perform hands-on duties, as well as their ability to balance academic and clinical responsibilities. Challenging coursework, pressure during clinical experiences, and social conflicts appeared as themes for the junior ATSs. Finally, the seniors stated a fear of not achieving professional proficiency was a source of frustration. Conclusions and Recommendations: Based on our findings, efforts should be made to assist student time management practices, improve communication between preceptors and students, and make expectations of the athletic training program (ATP) faculty and preceptors clear. Such measures could help influence other positive changes within ATPs to improve the learning environment for ATSs