Preceptor Education Practices and Perceived Needs Among Directors of Clinical Education in Athletic Training Programs

Context Preceptors play a critical role in athletic training education, yet preceptor education practices vary across programs. Directors of Clinical Education (DCEs) are responsible for designing and implementing preceptor education; however, limited data describe current practices and perceptions across accredited programs. Objective To describe current preceptor education practices, content inclusion, evaluation strategies, and perceived desirability of preceptor education topics among DCEs in accredited athletic training programs and to examine differences based on years of experience in the DCE role. Design Cross-sectional survey study. Setting Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited athletic training programs. Patients or Other Participants Directors of Clinical Education (N = 64). Main Outcome Measure(s) Survey items addressing preceptor education delivery methods, instructional strategies, requirements, evaluation practices, and desirability of preceptor education content. Results Directors of Clinical Education most commonly delivered education in person (61.4%), with virtual synchronous and asynchronous methods also frequently reported (47.1% each). Informational sessions (88%) and lectures (68%) were the most common instructional strategies, whereas laboratories (7%) and role-playing activities (17%) were infrequently used. Mandatory attendance was the most common requirement for preceptor education. Evaluation practices relied primarily on informal feedback and surveys, with fewer programs reporting outcome-based evaluation methods. All preceptor education content areas were rated as desirable, with mean ratings ranging from 3.88 to 4.48 on a 5-point scale. Directors of Clinical Education with <5 years of experience were more likely to report a perceived need for standardized preceptor development than those with >5 years of experience ( P = .037). No other differences were observed based on years of experience. Conclusions Preceptor education practices among athletic training programs emphasize informational delivery and are inconsistently evaluated. Directors of Clinical Education experience may influence perceptions related to standardized preceptor development.