PROGRESSION OF COMPETENCIES IN ERGONOMICS IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS. THE CASE OF PHYSICAL THERAPY PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHILE

L. Cerda-Díaz¹, M. Antúnez- Riveros², G. Olivares-Péndola¹, A..M. Rojas-Serey¹, C. Rodríguez- Herrera¹

Background: The competencies required for education in ergonomics are articulated sequentially according to the core competencies model proposed by the IEA. The progression of competencies from undergraduate allows a disciplinary development by providing elements for continuing education in the discipline of ergonomics. The Physical Therapy Program at the University of Chile has a competency-based model that integrates knowledge and skills in a longitudinal and transversal way in the educational itinerary. The acquisition of progressive ergonomics competencies allows compliance with the proposed graduation profile and the preparation of future professionals for demands of increasing industrialization and globalization that require a physical therapist who will be oriented to the assessment and prevention of work-related disorders.

Purpose: The aim was to describe and analyze the learning achievement associated with competencies in ergonomics proposed in a Physical therapy program and analyze the perceptions of students regarding their progression in the educational plan.

Methods: A mixed-methods case study was conducted. The first stage was a quantitative approach and the second stage was a qualitative approach using an interpretive phenomenological paradigm. A documentary analysis of the 3 ergonomics courses was carried out, creating a matrix of competencies, sub-competencies, and learning outcomes to finally determine a learning achievement survey whose content validity was confirmed by 3 experts in ergonomics. Afterward, the survey was applied to students who were attending their clinical internship and completed the ergonomics courses of the formation plan. SPSS v24 program was used for the quantitative data analysis. Finally, a discussion group was held with 5 students to expand the understanding of meanings attributed to the ergonomics teaching and learning process. NVivo 12pro software was used for the qualitative content data analysis. 

Results: 44 students who completed the ergonomics courses participated in the survey, with an average age of 24.46 years; 20 women and 24 men. 25 learning achievements were associated with skills according to the Dreyfuss model using Bloom's taxonomy for their progression. 3 of them were classified into comprehension; 9 in application and analysis and 13 in synthesis and evaluation. The average of the 44 grouped data of learning achievement was 4.52 (SD 0.59)  of a total of 5 on a Likert scale. 5 students participated in a discussion group. Four themes were emerged: analysis of the person's relationship in their environment, ergonomic intervention in a disciplinary context, practical tools for task analysis, and difficulties associated with the educational process.

Conclusion(s): The progression of learning achievement associated with competencies presented a high agreement among the students and was consistent with the reports of the discussion group regarding skills and activities developed. Greater participation of students is necessary for the processes of improvement learning experience that allows a greater contextualization of the need for training in ergonomics in undergraduate education.

Implications: The competencies of the ergonomics courses have been built based on the initial educational demands derived from the processes of curricular innovation and flexible changes providing a frame of reference for the construction of ergonomics courses. It would be a way to evolve and assess learning achievement.

Funding, acknowledgements: none

Keywords: ergonomics, physical therapy students, competency-based education

Topic: Occupational health & ergonomics

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: Universidad de Chile

Committee: CIESH Faculty of Medicine

Ethics number: N°054-2019