A STUDY OF STUDENTS' PERCEPTION TOWARDS RADIOTHERAPY PRACTICAL USING PHANTOM IN THE D-III RADIOLOGY STUDY PROGRAM

Abstract

The evolving landscape of medical imaging and radiation therapy necessitates highly skilled professionals, making the quality of practical training paramount for radiography students; however, current pedagogical approaches often face challenges in replicating complex clinical scenarios safely and effectively, particularly in undergraduate education, leading to a significant gap in understanding how students perceive the utility and effectiveness of simulated learning environments like phantom-based radiotherapy practicals, thus hindering curriculum optimization and preparedness for modern radiation oncology demands. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate and quantify the perceptions of undergraduate Radiography (D-III) students regarding their practical training in radiotherapy, specifically focusing on the utilization of phantom-based simulations, within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), hypothesizing that students' attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control would significantly predict their behavioral intentions towards engaging in phantom-based radiotherapy practicals, and that perceived autonomy and competence would positively correlate with their overall satisfaction and learning outcomes. To achieve these objectives, a cross-sectional descriptive survey design was employed, involving a representative sample of 150 undergraduate D-III Radiography students selected through stratified random sampling from a leading Indonesian institution, utilizing a validated self-administered questionnaire with high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.85) measuring TPB constructs, autonomy, competence, and satisfaction. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential analyses, including multiple regression and Pearson correlation. The findings revealed a generally positive perception towards phantom-based simulations, with a significant majority (85.2%) holding favorable attitudes (mean = 4.15, SD = 0.78) and perceiving them as valuable for skill development; however, subjective norms (mean = 3.52, SD = 0.91) and perceived behavioral control (mean = 3.88, SD = 0.85) were at a moderate level. Multiple regression confirmed that attitudes (β = 0.45, p < 0.001) and perceived behavioral control (β = 0.32, p < 0.001) were significant positive predictors of behavioral intentions, explaining 58% of the variance (R² = 0.58, F(3, 146) = 65.12, p < 0.001). Notably, an unexpected negative correlation was found between perceived phantom setup complexity and student satisfaction (r = -0.40, p < 0.01), while higher perceived autonomy (r = 0.55, p < 0.001) and competence (r = 0.62, p < 0.001) strongly correlated with increased satisfaction. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that D-III Radiography students generally perceive phantom-based radiotherapy practical training as beneficial, with attitudes and perceived behavioral control driving engagement intentions, and highlights the critical role of fostering perceived autonomy and competence to enhance satisfaction and learning, while also emphasizing the need to simplify phantom operational procedures for optimal educational impact, thus offering crucial theoretical contributions to understanding student engagement in simulated clinical environments and providing practical recommendations for curriculum refinement and pedagogical strategies in radiography education.