Dissertation Abstract

Program Administrators' Perceptions of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists' Sponsored Baccalaureate Curriculum

The primary purpose of this study was to conduct a nationwide study of Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) accredited baccalaureate radiography and radiation therapy degree programs to determine the level at which the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) proposed baccalaureate curriculum was currently employed and to ascertain program administrators' perceptions of the extent to which each content area should be emphasized in the program of study. A second purpose was to determine program directors' rank order of importance of the ASRT Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Science (B.S.R.S.) core content areas, to discover existing barriers to curriculum reform, and to identify administrators' perceptions of the driving forces behind creation of the B.S.R.S. document. All 47 program directors were invited to participate, 34 (RR = 72.3%) did so, and 32 of the returned surveys were used in data analysis. Forty-seven percent of the programs were located in a mid-sized city, and programs were most likely (71.9%) located in institutions with less than 13,000 undergraduate students. Most (75%) were publicly funded.

The descriptive study utilized an instrument developed by Graber et al (1998) and modified by this researcher to reflect the ASRT content. Paired t Tests were calculated to analyze the data relative to differences between the current and ideal state of emphasis for each content area. Nine of the content areas demonstrated a statistically significant difference in their current and ideal emphasis. These included leadership principles ( p < .05), quality management ( p < .05), risk management ( p < .01), health care law and regulations ( p < .05), directed readings and research ( p < .05), communications ( p < .01), human diversity ( p < .05), pharmacology ( p < .05), and patient assessment, management and education ( p < .01).

The content areas acknowledged most frequently as being in the top three positions of importance were patient assessment, management and education (27.7%), communications (20.2%), and quality management (16%). The two items most frequently mentioned as barriers to curriculum change were already crowded curriculum ( M = 3.44) and inadequate funding ( M = 2.74). Four common themes (need for additional education, advancing the profession, standardization of the curriculum, and endorsement of the baccalaureate degree) emerged as reason for document creation.

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