Global PALS; Using physiotherapy action learning sets to facilitate international collaboration and experiences between physiotherapy learners

Gill Rawlinson, Jeff Hartman, Kine Melfald Tveten, Carron Gordon, Gail Nelson
Purpose:

This pilot aims to support the development of both internationalisation at home and professional behaviour (i.e. leadership) skills in physiotherapy learners via the use of online facilitated ‘action learning sets’.  The aim is in the development of global leaders and an international peer group that stay connected beyond the pilot project and allow for useful evaluations and feedback on similar future projects.

 


Methods:

Six physiotherapy education programs from the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Ethiopia, Jamaica, and Chile provided faculty and student participants for this study. Professors utilized the Zoom communication platform to facilitate three teams of virtual action learning sets that consisted of 3-5 students each. Students each shared a ‘wicked problem’ and peers used coaching style techniques to facilitate introspection and reflection with the purpose of self discovery of action steps towards potential solutions. Teams met every 3-4 weeks for 6 total visits. 


Results:

Ten physiotherapy students attended across the 3 Global ALS groups. Students used Zoom , Teams and Whats App to communicate within, and between ALS groups. Several Barriers to participation and engagement were observed; students were not able to attend or faced challenges in engaging including;  finding time, coordinating time zones,  connectivity issues and external events. 

Students shared personal and professional challenges and facilitated each other to explore  issues and formulate action plans. Inductive thematic analysis of ‘wicked issues’ identified four themes; managing own journey as a student, professional identity and autonomy,  beliefs and values within physiotherapy experiences and access to physiotherapy care.  


Conclusion(s):

Online action learning sets are a valuable tool to offer online collaborative international learning opportunities for physiotherapy students. Students used the peer groups to share and gain support for a range of personal and professional issues however some barriers  to participation do exist. 


Implications:

Utilising virtual action learning within physiotherapy education offers students the opportunity for international collaboration and professional and personal development from their home country. 


Funding acknowledgements:
unfunded
Keywords:
Global Health,
experiential learning
Internationalisation
Primary topic:
Education: methods of teaching and learning
Second topic:
Globalisation: health systems, policies and strategies
Third topic:
Professional issues: business skills, leadership, advocacy and change management
Did this work require ethics approval?:
Yes
Name the institution and ethics committee that approved your work:
University of Salford, Manchester, UK Ethics Committee
Provide the ethics approval number:
Ref 0634
Has any of this material been/due to be published or presented at another national or international conference prior to the World Physiotherapy Congress 2025?:
No

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