Needs Assessment of Faculty in Professional-Level Physical Therapist Education Programs: Implications for Development

Abstract

Background and Purpose. Needs assessments are essential to design effective faculty development programs. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived job-related needs of faculty in professional-level physical therapist education programs, their workload, and preferences for faculty development activities. In addition, influence of years of experience and institution type on these factors were identified. Subjects. Based on the responses on a preliminary questionnaire sent to the directors of 183 accredited professional-level physical therapist education programs, 956 full-time faculty were identified as subjects. Methods. Needs assessment instruments that addressed the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service were mailed to the subjects. Usable surveys were returned by 514 individuals (54% response rate). Results. Respondents expressed extensive needs in all areas, particularly scholarship; preferred to shift their workload from teaching to scholarship, and ranked travel/grant funds and mentoring highest for faculty development activities. Needs decreased significantly as years of experience increased. There was no significant impact of institutional type. Discussion and Conclusion. The findings of this study could be used to design the content and delivery of faculty development programs to address the expressed needs of faculty at specific career stages as the academic community begins the transition to doctoral-level education.