In this project, the views of CALD physiotherapy students and CEs were engaged to inform the development of a blended educational resource package to improve CE knowledge, skills, and preparation for CALD student supervision.
The Knowledge-to-Action (KTA) Framework was employed in the design of a resource package for physiotherapy educator training. Resource development was informed by earlier qualitative research with CALD physiotherapy students and physiotherapy CEs to obtain insights about their clinical placement experiences. Key areas of interest included enablers and barriers to clinical learning, and potential strategies to mitigate challenges presenting in the clinical placement environment. A co-design approach engaging the students and CEs was used throughout the resource development process to capture perspectives and insights relating to CALD student placement experiences, and to identify the priority areas for targeted CE training.
The resource package was framed around three key areas of difficulty during clinical placement: mismatch in placement expectations, communication and language barriers, and cultural barriers. Two resource components were developed: (1) A resource manual and five online learning modules designed to promote culturally responsive clinical education, and (2) Workshop materials to model the practical application of Peer Learning Circles, facilitating educator peer supervision and fostering an organisational learning culture. Content was structured within five broad topics: ‘Cultural diversity in health professional education’, ‘Enhancing cross-cultural interactions: values and beliefs’, ‘Enhancing cross-cultural communication: aligning expectations’, ‘Enhancing cross-cultural interactions: communication styles’ and ‘Supporting CALD students to provide better quality patient care’. The resources were delivered via a train-the-trainer workshop held face-to-face and virtually.
Clinical placement educators should receive targeted training and preparation to support CALD students’ specific needs regarding communication, language, and cultural barriers. Further research is planned to evaluate the impact of the educational resources on the physiotherapy workforce to ensure that they are sustainable.
Promotion of culturally responsive clinical education is expected to have a meaningful impact on the knowledge, strategies, clinical practice, and preparation of CEs, enabling positive behavioural adjustments in their teaching practices while supporting students from diverse backgrounds to deliver optimal and quality patient care. While the resources have been designed to support physiotherapy clinical education in Australia, with modifications, they may have relevance internationally or to other health professional groups.
physiotherapy clinical education
