Athletic Training Education Program Directors' Perceptions on Job Selection, Satisfaction, and Attrition

OBJECTIVE: To determine the potential reasons for becoming a program director and reasons for leaving the program director position within athletic training education programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP); in addition, to describe the most and least beneficial and satisfying aspects of the program director position. DESIGN AND SETTING: In 1999, we sent a validated survey to athletic training education program directors of CAAHEP-accredited athletic training education programs. SUBJECTS: Of 113 athletic training education program directors of accredited undergraduate programs, 83 participated, for a response rate of 73.4%. MEASUREMENTS: The survey consisted of open-ended questions regarding potential reasons for becoming a program director and possibly leaving the program direction position and most and least beneficial and satisfying aspects of the position. We used inductive content analysis to determine themes for the responses to the open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics, including percentages, were calculated to report the data. RESULTS: Academic environment was the primary theme for becoming an athletic training education program director and professional appointment was the primary theme for possibly leaving the position. Professional advancement and student growth and success were the primary themes for the most beneficial and satisfying aspects. Workload and student issues and discipline were the primary themes for the least beneficial and satisfying aspects. CONCLUSIONS: Factors that affect job selection, satisfaction, and attrition are related to academic environment, teaching, students, professional advancement, program development/advancement, workload, personal issues, and athletics.