Impacting Future Clinical Instructor Aspirations through Physical Therapist Student Peer Teaching
Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this academic research study was to determine if student peer teaching interactions in the Integrated Case Application Lab (ICAL) courses in a DPT program impact DPT students desire to be a future Clinical Instructor (CI).
Number of Subjects: First year (no internship experience) and second year students (one internship experience) enrolled in a DPT program. 95 subjects pre-test and 60 post-test, 155 total responses.
Materials and Methods: Students are required to take the ICAL courses which involve peer teaching using the CI-student model. In this course 2nd year students assume the role of clinical instructor while first year students are mentored in the examination and intervention process using mock patient scenarios. Students were surveyed pre and post ICAL to assess desire to be a future CI. Quantitative and free response qualitative responses were collected. Data were compiled to determine percent change in desire to be a future CI. Thematic analysis of free responses were conducted.
Results: 2nd year students interest in being a CI pre-ICAL was 62.5% and increased to 65% after ICAL. All second year students responded that they were interested or "maybe" interested in being a CI in the pre and post survey.
1st year student future CI interest “yes” responses increased by 16% (52.2% to 68.4%) and “maybe” responses decreased by 22% (47.8% to 27.8%) following the ICAL course.
Conclusions: Using peer teaching to simulate CI interactions positively influenced 1st year students desire to become a CI in the future. While the 2nd year student interest in becoming a CI in the future did not change, the percentage of students indicating this interest was similar to the first year responses following the ICAL course.
Clinical Relevance: With the increase in DPT programs and increased need for CIs, more new graduates will need to assume CI roles in the future. Using peer teaching strategies incorporating CI simulation in didactic curriculum may increase the desire of DPT students to become CI's in the future, thus fulfilling that need.