Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Donna C. Mars

Date

2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Higher & Adult Education

Committee Chair

Ronald Eric Platt

Committee Member

Karen W. Kitchens

Committee Member

Colton D. Cockrum

Committee Member

David Gilmore

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the motivations guiding nuclear medicine technologists to pursue post-primary credentials in computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) through the framework of the expectancy-value theory. A survey was used to answer the research question: Do the values nuclear medicine technologists associate with a post-primary certification in CT or MRI predict their intention to pursue a post-primary credential? The study included certified nuclear medicine technologists from eight states in the southeastern regions of the United States. The answers from 237 respondent, which equates to 8.6% of the population, were used in the final analysis for the study. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine which predictor variables (i.e. years of experience, type of nuclear medicine technology program, expectancy belief, and subjective task values) may predict the intent to pursue a post-primary credential in CT or MRI. Findings show that attainment value, or importance of the task, was a predictor of future intent to pursue a CT credential. In addition, ‘years of experience’ was identified as a statistically significant contributing factor of whether nuclear medicine technologists pursue post-primary credentials in CT or MRI. The ‘years of experience’ predictor variable was inversely related with a technologist’s intent to pursue a post-primary credential, suggesting as the technologist’s years of experience increases by one standard deviation, the perceived intent to pursue a post-primary credential would likely decrease. Three implications were drawn from this study: 1) as the technologist increases in years, the likelihood of pursuing post-primary credentials decreases; 2) a post-primary credential in CT must have attainment value, meaning the credential must be important or personally significant; and 3) perceived barriers to pursing a post-primary credential are possible to overcome. Based on these implications, to increase the number of post-primary credentialed technologists, colleges and universities should focus recruitment efforts on early career technologists while increasing the technologist’s attainment value associated with multiple credentials and the future of nuclear medicine technology.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest

Notes

Open Access

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