Social Justice Education in CAATE-Accredited Post-Baccalaureate Athletic Training Programs

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Social Determinants of Health
• Athletic Training

Background:

• Social justice education (SJE) is vital for equipping clinicians with skills for patient-centered care.
• The accreditation standards for athletic training programs increasingly emphasize social justice principles.
• Understanding the current state of SJE in these programs is essential for future curriculum development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the extent and nature of social justice education within CAATE-accredited, post-baccalaureate athletic training programs.
• To assess athletic training students' perceptions of their preparedness to identify and address social justice issues.
• To identify specific educational needs and desired improvements in SJE from the students' perspective.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 215 students in their final year of post-baccalaureate professional education or within six months of graduation.
• The survey included quantitative (closed-ended) and qualitative (open-ended) questions on SJE content, confidence, and agreement with program preparedness.
• Statistical analyses were performed to identify differences in perceptions based on cultural ethnicity.

Main Results:

• Significant differences emerged among cultural ethnicity groups regarding perceptions of faculty and preceptor knowledge and program preparedness for addressing social justice (p<0.001).
• Students defined social justice as equality, equity, and justice for minoritized populations.
• Open-ended responses indicated that SJE was often perceived as absent or limited, with a strong desire for practical, diverse, and unbiased educational experiences.

Conclusions:

• Athletic training students from diverse cultural backgrounds report disparate educational experiences related to social justice.
• Current social justice education in professional athletic training programs is often insufficient, lacking practical application and diverse perspectives.
• There is a clear need for enhanced and varied SJE, particularly for minoritized students, to align with evolving accreditation standards and promote equitable patient care.