Marshall S.C.1,2, Winters G.E.3, Dacosta D.4, Wright J.5
1McGill University, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Montreal, Canada, 2McGill University, Department of Integrated Studies in Education, Montreal, Canada, 3Stony Brook University, Physics, Stony Brook, United States, 4McGill University, Department of Medicine, Montreal, Canada, 5School District 71, Comox Valley, Canada
Background: Physical therapy (PT) education is a continually evolving subject. PT learners naturally include PT university students, but also include PT clinical practitioners, and even the patients/clients who seek PT care. Research has shown that learners of all age ranges, but especially adults, become more engaged in the subject when their teachers use active learning strategies. Learners also come away with a deeper level of understanding of the subject when they have been instructed with active learning strategies.
However, PTs are not immune to the common human characteristic that change can be challenging, and resistance to change exists in many domains.
However, PTs are not immune to the common human characteristic that change can be challenging, and resistance to change exists in many domains.
Purpose: Engaged learners, through active teaching strategies, allow for more involved learners and deeper understanding of subject material.
Methods: The authors, an interdisciplinary team from across Canada and the USA, present active learning strategies for teachers and physical therapists to engage their students and clients, as well as insights into overcoming barriers to implementing effective strategies.
Results: The presentation will include an active learning strategy used as a method to deepen the understanding of the feasibility and the effectiveness of this approach even in large groups.
Conclusion(s): The authors suggest that the Transtheoretical Model of Health Behavior Change can be adapted to address a resistance to change in the way PT professors and clinicians teach. This will thus improve the professors and clinicians feelings of self-efficacy, thereby enabling more active learning strategies to be incorporated into teaching opportunities.
Implications: Take-home point: Active learning strategies in PT (how you teach PT students and/or how you teach patients) does not have to be difficult nor does it have to be technological. It will make you a better teacher and a better PT.
Funding acknowledgements: (none)
Topic: Education: methods of teaching & learning
Ethics approval: n/a
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
