Physical Therapist Student and Community Partner Perspectives and Attitudes Regarding Service-Learning Experiences

Abstract

Background and Purpose. Service learning (SL), a well-established curricular component in many health professions programs, such as dentistry, medicine, and nursing, is now becoming recognized as an effective pedagogical method in physical therapy. However, there is little known about physical therapist student perceptions of and attitudes toward SL, and there is even less information describing the perceptions and attitudes of the community organizations and partners with whom they work. Subjects. Seventy-five physical therapist students and 24 local community-partner organizations participated in this study. Methods. Pencil and paper surveys were administered to assess the impact of SL experiences threaded into the curriculum of a professional physical therapist education program. Results. Both the physical therapist students (100% response rate) and community partners (80% response rate) overwhelmingly indicated that their experiences were positive, that they valued the partnerships, and that they benefited from service learning. Discussion and Conclusion. The fact that both groups perceived benefits from SL experiences provides additional support to the value of SL as a pedagogical method in physical therapist education. Future research should include evaluation of postgraduate and alumni surveys to observe lasting effects of community service experiences on physical therapist practice.