Stewart H1, Wisby D2, Roddam H1
1University of Central Lancashire, School of Health Sciences, Preston, United Kingdom, 2University of Central Lancashire, Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, Preston, United Kingdom
Background: In the United Kingdom (UK), “seeking to continuously improve” as a Physiotherapist is a standard set by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (professional body). The Health and Care Professions Council (the regulatory body) audit continuing professional development (CPD) on a two-yearly cycle. With this in mind, CPD portfolios are widely used and often assessed in Physiotherapy preregistration education.
Literature reports that health students questioned the validity of portfolio assessment, as each portfolio is unique, or felt that pass-fail assessments caused them to devalue the portfolio process. Some preferred portfolio assessments to more traditional methods. Students generally commented negatively about guidance and support. None of the literature investigated whether guidance, assessment or feedback on a student portfolio, influenced students' attitudes to CPD moving forwards into their careers.
Purpose: to explore the influence of student portfolio guidance, assessment and feedback, on final year UK Physiotherapy student's attitudes to CPD and CPD portfolios.
Methods: a mixed methods approach was taken using an online questionnaire and semi-structured telephone interviews with final year UK Physiotherapy students. Ordinal likert-style data from the questionnaire was analysed using Kruskal Wallis and Mann Whitney U tests, as appropriate. A thematic analysis was undertaken on the interview transcripts. Results are drawn from both sets of data.
Results: 53 students completed the online questionnaire; 25 of these had an assessed portfolio. Three students were interviewed, of whom two had an assessed portfolio. Student reported attitudes towards portfolios indicated that lack of guidance and support during development leads to anxiety (p=0.026) and uncertainty about what is expected (p=0.008). Using an unassessed portfolio results in a greater sense of achievement (p=0.025). Interviews showed that guidance and support from tutors creates increased engagement, internal motivation and personal responsibility for portfolio learning, while assessment of portfolios creates habit to complete a portfolio but not desire. Student reported attitudes towards CPD indicated that those with unassessed portfolios place greater value on the process of lifelong learning (p=0.022). Students with assessed portfolios are more broadminded about what constitutes CPD (p=0.035). Interviews showed that guidance and support from tutors helps students to recognise the purpose of CPD. Feedback on their portfolios does not appear to influence student attitudes towards portfolios, or CPD.
Conclusion(s): guidance and support during the process of portfolio building positively influences student attitudes to CPD and portfolios; whilst feedback on the completed portfolios seems to have little influence on this. Assessment appears to develop the ability to compile a portfolio, while non-assessment appears to develop recognition of the value of lifelong learning.
Implications: Educators should recognise the value of guidance and support when developing portfolios with students. Educators should consider the purpose of the portfolio when deciding whether to include this in academic assessment.
Keywords: Portfolio, Continuing Professional Development, Education
Funding acknowledgements: none
Literature reports that health students questioned the validity of portfolio assessment, as each portfolio is unique, or felt that pass-fail assessments caused them to devalue the portfolio process. Some preferred portfolio assessments to more traditional methods. Students generally commented negatively about guidance and support. None of the literature investigated whether guidance, assessment or feedback on a student portfolio, influenced students' attitudes to CPD moving forwards into their careers.
Purpose: to explore the influence of student portfolio guidance, assessment and feedback, on final year UK Physiotherapy student's attitudes to CPD and CPD portfolios.
Methods: a mixed methods approach was taken using an online questionnaire and semi-structured telephone interviews with final year UK Physiotherapy students. Ordinal likert-style data from the questionnaire was analysed using Kruskal Wallis and Mann Whitney U tests, as appropriate. A thematic analysis was undertaken on the interview transcripts. Results are drawn from both sets of data.
Results: 53 students completed the online questionnaire; 25 of these had an assessed portfolio. Three students were interviewed, of whom two had an assessed portfolio. Student reported attitudes towards portfolios indicated that lack of guidance and support during development leads to anxiety (p=0.026) and uncertainty about what is expected (p=0.008). Using an unassessed portfolio results in a greater sense of achievement (p=0.025). Interviews showed that guidance and support from tutors creates increased engagement, internal motivation and personal responsibility for portfolio learning, while assessment of portfolios creates habit to complete a portfolio but not desire. Student reported attitudes towards CPD indicated that those with unassessed portfolios place greater value on the process of lifelong learning (p=0.022). Students with assessed portfolios are more broadminded about what constitutes CPD (p=0.035). Interviews showed that guidance and support from tutors helps students to recognise the purpose of CPD. Feedback on their portfolios does not appear to influence student attitudes towards portfolios, or CPD.
Conclusion(s): guidance and support during the process of portfolio building positively influences student attitudes to CPD and portfolios; whilst feedback on the completed portfolios seems to have little influence on this. Assessment appears to develop the ability to compile a portfolio, while non-assessment appears to develop recognition of the value of lifelong learning.
Implications: Educators should recognise the value of guidance and support when developing portfolios with students. Educators should consider the purpose of the portfolio when deciding whether to include this in academic assessment.
Keywords: Portfolio, Continuing Professional Development, Education
Funding acknowledgements: none
Topic: Education; Education: continuing professional development
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: University of Central Lancashire, Preston UK
Ethics committee: University of Central Lancashire STEMH Ethics Committee
Ethics number: STEMH 586
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
