Date of Award
Spring 5-14-2021
Document Type
Dissertation (799 registration)
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership
Department
Graduate Studies
Committee Chair
Dr. Boyd L. Bradbury
Keywords
Athletics Director, Athletic Trainer, Appropriate Medical Care, National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II, Barriers
Abstract
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II (DII) Colleges and Universities face expanding athletic seasons, more teams, more athletes, increasingly complex medical protocols, and an increasingly litigious society. Athletic Trainers (ATs) are responsible for development and implementation of appropriate athletic health care for Student-Athletes (SAs). Athletics Directors (ADs) are the administrative decision-makers and the agents of change when dealing with these competing interests. Athletics Directors allocate the budget and control hiring processes. Athletic Trainer workload poses a moral and legal threat to SAs, ATs, and universities. The problem continues to persist in NCAA DII Universities despite ample research. The purpose of this convergent mixed-methods study was to increase understanding of NCAA DII ADs perceived barriers to providing appropriate medical care to NCAA DII SAs. The researcher addressed additional research questions about defining appropriate event coverage, athletic training practice, advocacy, and prioritization of hiring practices and budget allocation. The online survey and semi-structured interviews captured information about AD knowledge and perception of appropriate medical care. This study utilized the parallel-databases variant. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The qualitative data were analyzed using procedures of theme development. The researcher identified similarities and differences within and between the two datasets to create a comparison discussion. The results provided a comparison of AD perceptions that may create direction for future efforts to improve appropriate medical care for NCAA DII SAs.
Recommended Citation
Crowell, Laura, "Appropriate Medical Care: A Mixed Method Study of Perceptions of Athletics Directors in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Colleges and Universities" (2021). Dissertations, Theses, and Projects. 535.
https://red.mnstate.edu/thesis/535