The story models of physiotherapy students' professional development. Narrative research

The aim of this article is to investigate students’ narratives about their professional development process. This research brings new kind of knowledge to continuing learning, developing education and planning the curriculum in physiotherapy education. The European Qualification Framework (EQF) defines learning competences in education; qualitative research has a narrative approach. The material consists of eight voluntarily participating physiotherapy students’ portfolios written during their whole study time. The longitudinal data describes them as learners and their development process. The major findings are four main episodes in professional development: the previous studies, a new way of learning, understanding the physiotherapy and becoming professional in physiotherapy. Three story models were found: the story of the development of an autonomous learner, the story of the development in becoming a member of the physiotherapy community and the story of the development of a critical developer. In conclusion, four steps in the physiotherapy students’ professional development were formed. The model helps understand the students’ concepts about their professional development. Students need theoretical knowledge and practical skills to build their professional development. Reflecting learning and instructed practice are important for professional development in healthcare. Learning is connected to action, context and culture where information is collected and used.peerReviewe

Practical work in physiotherapy students’ professional development

Learning practical work through cooperation between school and working life is part of physiotherapy higher education. Students learn practical work through the integration of theoretical, practical, tacit and situational knowledge in a socialization process. Workplace practices and habits direct students’ learning. This study answers the question: What kind of conceptions of learning practical work do physiotherapy students have? Longitudinal data written by 21 volunteer students (mean age 25 years) was collected over three and a half years. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Learning practical work proceeds in five phases: (1) the basis of practical work, human movement and action and therapeutic tools is learned at school; (2) the meaning of the profession and practical work takes shape in an interaction with clients and observing how professionals work in real workplaces; (3) the wholeness of the practical work takes shape by gradually participating in the work processes; (4) critical reflection of the work processes – thinking, construction, evaluation and reasoning – develops; and (5) the conception of practical work widens. This study brings new information about learning practical work for developing healthcare education and its curricula. The role of workplaces is huge in learning tacit knowledge of the profession.peerReviewe

Problem-Based Learning in Professional Studies from the Physiotherapy Students’ Perspective

The aim of the study was to investigate how physiotherapy students using a problem-based learning approach develop into experts during higher education, and answers the question: How do physiotherapy students at bachelor’s level understand the problem-based learning approach while learning to become professionals? PBL is examined using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of longitudinal data written by 15 voluntary students from two different higher education institutions and collected during 3.5 years. The main results on the new way of learning strengthen earlier conceptions of the importance of reflection in the learning process. The PBL method activates a reflection process by allowing students to participate in something that differs from their previous experiences of teaching and learning methods, which creates confusion and forces them to critically reflect on their actions. There are two dimensions of reflection in this study: self-reflection (information-seeking and creative learning processes) and reflection together (peer-group working and the teacher), in which reflection together seems to be more powerful than in earlier experiential learning theories. This study brings out the directions for and the timing of the necessary scaffolding and support for learning.peerReviewe