A Comparison of the Viewpoints of Clinical Educators and Students of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences toward Clinical Training Status of Rehabilitation Disciplines in 2013-14

Background & Objective: Clinical education courses are recognized as the heart of professional education because more than 50% of students’ time is spent in clinical environments. Therefore, qualifying in clinical skills requires an effective clinical learning environment. Thus, clinical education can be enriched through the consideration of clinical educators’ and students’ perspectives . The aim of this study was to compare the viewpoints of clinical educators and students of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran, toward the clinical education status of rehabilitation disciplines. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study. Based on the inclusion criteria and using convenience sampling method, 54 clinical educators and 178 students were chosen from among clinical educators and students of orthopedics, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy disciplines. The participants completed valid and reliable clinical education questionnaires in the field of rehabilitation. Results: A statistical difference was observed between clinical educators’ and students’ viewpoints in the area of “clinical learners”. With regard to the academic degrees of clinical educators, there was a statistically significant difference in the “evaluation area”. With regard to the gender of clinical educators, differences were observed in the area of “clinical learners”. According to students’ academic disciplines, with the exception of the field of “management”, statistical differences were observed in other areas. Conclusion: Clinical education courses in Rehabilitation Sciences must provide an effective clinical learning setting. Moreover, reviewing of management and evaluation of clinical education through appropriate evaluation criteria in order to improve the clinical education status is necessary. Key Words: Rehabilitation, Clinical education, Clinical instructor, Studen