How Do Virtual Communities of Practice Enhance Professional Connections and Social Capital?

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Online Learning Communities
• Social Network Analysis

Background:

• Physical therapist assistant (PTA) education faced disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Communities of Practice (CoP) were established to enhance educator skills and provide support.
• This study pioneered the use of social network analysis (SNA) to understand CoPs in PTA education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the network structure of virtual CoPs for PTA educators.
• To assess PTA educators' perceptions of participation and mentorship within these CoPs.
• To determine the extent to which network structure reflects participant experiences.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods concurrent triangulation study was conducted.
• Eight virtual CoPs involving PTA educators were analyzed over four months.
• Participants completed questionnaires, and social network analysis (SNA) was used to map relationships, complemented by qualitative case study analysis.

Main Results:

• High engagement was observed, with 97.5% willing to participate again and 80% resolving immediate role-related issues.
• A strong sense of encouragement was reported by 92.5% of participants.
• Qualitative analysis revealed themes of unity and knowledge sharing, with participants mentoring and being mentored.

Conclusions:

• Virtual CoPs offer valuable outcomes for PTA educators across various domains (administration, teaching, clinical education).
• Participant engagement, mentorship, knowledge sharing, and unity are crucial for successful CoPs.
• The findings support existing literature and underscore the importance of these virtual communities in physical therapy education.