National Study of Excellence and Innovation in Physical Therapist Education: Part 2—A Call to Reform

Abstract

This perspective shares recommendations that draw from (1) the National Study of Excellence and Innovation in Physical Therapist Education research findings and a conceptual model of excellence in physical therapist education, (2) the Carnegie Foundation's Preparation for the Professions Program (PPP), and (3) research in the learning sciences. The 30 recommendations are linked to the dimensions described in the conceptual model for excellence in physical therapist education: Culture of Excellence, Praxis of Learning, and Organizational Structures and Resources. This perspective proposes a transformative call for reform framed across 3 core categories: (1) creating a culture of excellence, leadership, and partnership, (2) advancing the learning sciences and understanding and enacting the social contract, and (3) implementing organizational imperatives. Similar to the Carnegie studies, this perspective identifies action items (9) that should be initiated immediately in a strategic and systematic way by the major organizational stakeholders in physical therapist education. These recommendations and action items provide a transformative agenda for physical therapist education, and thus the profession, in meeting the changing needs of society through higher levels of excellence.

A Leadership Development Program for student physical therapists and therapist assistants

“…Caring: Concern, empathy, and consideration for the needs and values of others. Century research project focused on shared leadership [5]. Both leadership theories are very similar with the leader developing team members, using team members' strengths, and creating a productive team approach culture [13,14].…”

“…Leadership in the physical therapy profession has been identifi ed as a characteristic needed for primary care delivery in the healthcare environment [1][2][3][4][5]. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Leadership Development Committee defi ned four core competencies for physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapist assistants (PTAs) who wish to develop their leadership skills [1].…”

“…It is then hoped the student develops leadership through exposure and experience by self-learning along with trial and error. The importance of educating SPTs as leaders became a current focus in the Excellence in PT Education for the 21 st Century research project [5]. Leadership and vision were identifi ed as two essential components of professional education to prepare students for their future as clinicians in formal leadership roles.…”

Applied Research on College Sports Blended Learning Based on Moodle Platform

“…With the further development of education informatization, web-based instruction, distance teaching, webbased teaching platform, student's physique management platform, student sports performance management platform, physical education curriculum election and management platform have appeared one after another in college physical education, which has greatly improved the informatization of physical education and promoted the reform of college sports (Jensen, Nordstrom, Mostrom, Hack, & Gwyer, 2017;Vallet et al, 2016).…”

Integrated clinical experience with concurrent problem-based learning is associated with improved clinical reasoning among physical therapy students in the United States

“…While multiple definitions exist, CR has been defined as “a complex cognitive process that uses formal and informal thinking strategies to gather and analyze patient information, evaluate the significance of this information and determine the value of alternative actions” [2]. As such, the integration of longitudinal CR assessments to elucidate the impact of various classroom and clinical curricular designs on this vital skill has been suggested [3].…”