Development of an evidence-informed doctoral curriculum framework in physical therapy sciences: an international benchmarking and expert validation study

The expanding scope of Physical Therapy research, coupled with rapid advances in digital health, artificial intelligence, implementation science, and evidence-based rehabilitation, has increased the demand for doctoral graduates with advanced research, leadership, and interdisciplinary competencies. Despite this evolution, published guidance describing systematic and evidence-informed approaches to developing doctoral curricula in Physical Therapy Sciences remains limited. This study aimed to develop and externally validate an evidence-informed doctoral curriculum framework through systematic needs assessment, international benchmarking, competency mapping, and constructive alignment.

A multiphase evidence-informed curriculum development methodology was employed. The study comprised seven sequential phases: (1) needs assessment and environmental analysis; (2) international benchmarking; (3) comparative curriculum analysis; (4) competency mapping ; (5) Curriculum framework development; (6) Curriculum refinement and quality assurance; and (7) external expert content validation. Twenty-four doctoral programmes from research-intensive universities in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia were screened, of which eighteen met the predefined inclusion criteria for benchmarking. The proposed curriculum was subsequently evaluated by an international panel of twelve experts using a structured validation instrument, and content validity was assessed using item-level and scale-level Content Validity Indices.

Benchmarking demonstrated substantial consistency across international doctoral programmes in advanced research methodology, biostatistics, research ethics, scientific writing, proposal development, and independent dissertation research. Comparative analysis further identified increasing emphasis on digital health, artificial intelligence, implementation science, interdisciplinary collaboration, research leadership, and knowledge translation as emerging doctoral competencies. These findings informed the development of a competency-based doctoral curriculum aligned with internationally recognised educational frameworks. External expert validation demonstrated high perceived relevance, competency alignment, curriculum structure, content appropriateness, and implementation feasibility of the proposed framework, with domain-specific agreement ranging from 92% to 100%. Minor recommendations related to curriculum sequencing and emerging digital competencies were incorporated without altering the overall doctoral curriculum framework.

This study presents an evidence-informed and high perceived relevance, alignment, and feasibility among an international expert panel that aligns Physical Therapy Sciences education with contemporary international educational standards and evolving rehabilitation research priorities. The proposed framework offers a transparent methodology for curriculum development that integrates systematic benchmarking, competency mapping, and expert validation, providing a practical model to inform the development or revision of doctoral programmes in Physical Therapy and related health professions. Future implementation studies are warranted to evaluate its educational effectiveness across diverse institutional settings.