A survey of Australian sonographer psychomotor teaching practices

Delwyn Nicholls, Linda Sweet, Jon Hyett, Amanda Müller

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective: To report on the findings of a survey of sonographer skill-teaching practices in Australia using the SonoSTePs tool. Method: A cross-sectional survey of all qualified sonographers registered with the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry. Results: The 528 responses showed the use of a two-step skill-teaching approach to teach scanning skills and the incorporation of additional instructional practices to support a learner's initial acquisition of scanning skills, which include: providing coaching and guidance as the skill is practised; performing physical guidance; providing immediate error correction; and providing end-task feedback. Based on our findings, sonographer skill-teaching practices fall short of best pedagogical approaches. Conclusion: There is a pressing need to identify the optimal pedagogical approaches to teach complex psychomotor scanning skills. Research is required to ensure that the scanning skills are taught efficiently and that the pedagogical approaches to teach scanning skills foster the learner's long-term retention of the skill. There is also an accompanying need for sonographers involved in teaching scanning skills to have knowledge of the motor-learning theories and principles related to teaching a complex psychomotor skill.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)227-237
Number of pages11
JournalAustralasian Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine
Volume23
Issue number4
Early online date18 Aug 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2020

Keywords

  • cognitive load
  • integrated task practice
  • psychomotor skill
  • teaching model
  • ultrasound

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