Continuing Development and Initial Validation of a Questionnaire to Measure Sonographer Skill-Teaching Perceptions in...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Sonography Training

Background:

• Medical ultrasound examinations involve diverse professionals, including sonographers.
• Limited evidence exists on effective teaching practices in medical ultrasonography.
• The SonoSTePs instrument was developed to assess perceptions of teaching complex psychomotor skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the continued development and psychometric validation of the SonoSTePs instrument.
• To measure sonographer perceptions of skill-teaching practices in medical ultrasonography.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was distributed to a convenience sample of sonographers in Queensland, Australia.
• Psychometric testing, including reliability and factor analysis, was performed on the measurement tool.
• Exploratory factor analysis identified four key factors related to teaching complex psychomotor skills.

Main Results:

• The 25-item SonoSTePs scale demonstrated good internal reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.83).
• Four factors were identified: Skill execution feedback, Cognitive overload, Teach new skill, and Assist learners scanning.
• Test-retest analysis indicated acceptable interrater agreement for most items (weighted kappa ≥0.5).

Conclusions:

• The SonoSTePs instrument's items and factors align with theories of teaching complex psychomotor skills.
• Initial data suggest the SonoSTePs tool is a reliable and valid measure for assessing sonographer teaching practice perceptions.
• This validated instrument can inform educational strategies in medical ultrasonography.