the moral reasoning of student athletes and athletic training students

Commission for Accreditation of Athletic Training Education Programs (CAATE) is responsible
for establishing the curriculum of athletic training students at accredited programs. Therefore,
perhaps CAATE can have a role in encouraging or requiring programs to address moral or
ethical education. Outside of accrediting authorities, however, educators can play a significant
role in affecting change by incorporating elements of cognitive dissonance and a challenging and
discussing students’ personal points of view with relationship moral principles and subject
matter. The responsibility lies with all members of society, but the institution of higher education
seems optimally equipped with opportunity and mission to affect change in moral reasoning, one
small step to changing behavior.
Student athletes and athletic training students have one very important commonality and
that is the fact that both are students in a system of higher education. For the most part, these
students are willing to do what they are told. They usually attend classes, take exams, complete
assignments and earn degrees. The question is, during these four to five years, could the system
of higher education take more responsibility to intentionally challenge its students to develop a
strategy to utilize and practice moral reasoning? What better place exists to pose such a
challenge to developing character and members of society than the institution of higher
education?
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