Experiential Learning in Pediatric Physical Therapist Education: Faculty and Student Perceptions

Area of Science:

• Physical Therapy Education
• Pediatric Physical Therapy
• Experiential Learning

Background:

• Accredited doctor of physical therapy programs increasingly incorporate pediatric content.
• Experiential learning (EL) with children is a component of physical therapist education.
• Variability in the extent and quality of EL with children exists across programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the current state of experiential learning (EL) with children in physical therapist education.
• To assess faculty and student perceptions of the amount and quality of EL with children.
• To identify barriers and facilitators influencing EL with children in physical therapy programs.

Main Methods:

• Survey administered to faculty (n=106) and students (n=23) from 20 physical therapy programs.
• Online questionnaire included closed- and open-ended questions on EL with children.
• Descriptive statistics and qualitative review of responses were employed.

Main Results:

• Respondents reported an average of 12.4 hours of EL with children in required courses.
• Satisfaction with the quality of EL was higher than with the amount of EL.
• Participants identified various barriers and facilitators impacting EL with children.

Conclusions:

• The utilization of and satisfaction with EL involving children in physical therapist education demonstrate variability.
• Further research is warranted to explore this variation and its potential effects on educational outcomes.
• Understanding and optimizing EL with children is crucial for developing competent pediatric physical therapists.