Comparative analysis of curricular and administrative factors of clinical laboratory science programs and their relationship to performance on a certification examination
Abstract
This study identified and described the specific curricular and administrative variables that may be associated with successful performance on the certification examination. Clinical Laboratory Science educational programs are extremely diverse and complex in administrative and curricular design and therefore difficult to evaluate either individually or as a group. Successful completion of an accredited program in clinical laboratory science establishes eligibility for the American Society of Clinical Pathologists' certification examination leading to lifelong certification in the profession. Therefore, examination performance can be considered a key indicator of program effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to identify the variability of curricular and administrative factors across university-based programs; to determine how certification results vary; then to determine and analyze the relationship between specific curricular and administrative factors and student performance on the certification examination. Directors of all nationally accredited university-based clinical laboratory science programs (n = 83) were mailed a questionnaire concerning program structure with a request for release of examination scores. Certification examination scores from consenting programs were provided to the investigator by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. Sixty-eight percent of the programs responded and the resulting data were analyzed according to principles of descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients, and regression analyses. Eighty-six percent of the samples used lecture format in their courses. Letter grades were used for evaluation in 73% of didactic courses and 52% of clinical courses. Objective type of evaluations were used by 80% of respondents. Clinical rotations were assigned after completion of didactic courses in 75% of respondents. Total full-time students averaged 10, with an average of 3 full-time faculty teaching 8 credits per semester. The study also indicated that differences among examination scores were significantly related to average length of time spent in the clinical rotations. This data base and correlated analysis may enable clinical laboratory science educators, administrators and accreditors to improve program planning and evaluation of programs for better student performance on the certification examination as one end-product of professional training.
Subject Area
Health education|Science education|Higher education
Recommended Citation
Raichle, Linda Thatcher, "Comparative analysis of curricular and administrative factors of clinical laboratory science programs and their relationship to performance on a certification examination" (1992). Dissertations available from ProQuest. AAI9308647.
https://repository.upenn.edu/dissertations/AAI9308647