Article Sidebar
Article Details
Copyright remains in the Author’s name. The work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial Works License. Authors are required to complete and sign an Author Agreement form that outlines Author and Publisher rights and terms of publication. The Agreement form should be uploaded along with other submissions files and any submission will be considered incomplete without it [forthcoming].
Material submitted for publication in the AJHPE is accepted provided it has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Please inform the editorial team if the main findings of your paper have been presented at a conference and published in abstract form, to avoid copyright infringement. The AJHPE does not hold itself responsible for statements made by the authors. The corresponding author should also indicate if the research forms part of a postgraduate short report, dissertation or thesis.
Previously published images
If an image/figure has been previously published, permission to reproduce or alter it must be obtained by the authors from the original publisher and the figure legend must give full credit to the original source. This credit should be accompanied by a letter indicating that permission to reproduce the image has been granted to the author/s. This letter should be uploaded as a supplementary file during submission.Main Article Content
Physiotherapy clinical education at a South African university
Abstract
Background. Clinical education for physiotherapists forms a vital part of undergraduate programmes and equips students with competencies to practise autonomously as qualified health practitioners. However, disparities are evident in approaches to clinical education.
Objective. To explore the perceptions of physiotherapy students, community-service physiotherapists and physiotherapy clinical supervisors regarding the clinical education framework at a tertiary institution in South Africa in order to understand preparedness of students for practice.
Methods. A case study approach with two focus group discussions with students and interviews with community physiotherapists and clinical supervisors was employed. Data were analysed and categorised into key themes and sub-themes.
Results. Five themes emerged from triangulation of data from the three groups: preparedness for professional practice, institutional barriers, curriculum disputes, personal factors and recommendations for physiotherapy clinical education. Students felt inadequately prepared owing to a perceived lack of exposure to certain aspects of physiotherapy, while community therapists believed that reflection on the undergraduate programme after qualifying contributed to their adequate preparation. Clinical supervisors supposed that students would benefit from actively engaging with teaching and learning opportunities, and clinical personnel collaboration was seen as key to facilitate a continuum in clinical education from classroom to healthcare setting.
Conclusion. Participants reported that the existing curriculum structure may need to be revisited to address various issues, while holistic collaboration between students, supervisors and clinical personnel is imperative to create a cohesive learning environment.
