Theory Matters: The Role of Pediatric Faculty in Lighting the Torch of Knowledge Translation
Theory/Body:
Steps to enhance knowledge translation proposed in the current literature include improvements related to knowledge creation, its dissemination to clinicians, and its application with specific patient populations.1,2 However, there is little emphasis on the role of the academic faculty in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs in shaping the views of entry-level clinicians as the potential agents of change.3,4 The 2019 50th McMillan Lecture emphasized just that, with the assumption that the entry-level students’ education contains the latest evidence to be applied in their future clinical practice upon graduation.5
A pediatric example of the latest evidence is the theoretical concept of a perception-action-cognition connection that has been supported by a large body of research conducted in infants and children developing typically and atypically.3 This presentation offers a road map for pediatric physical therapy faculty that links the concept of the perception-action-cognition connection to the patient examination and intervention taught to entry-level DPT students. This road map for updating pediatric curriculum illustrates the knowledge translation experience of a faculty member in an entry-level DPT program.
The steps on this map include the following: 1) When teaching theories of development, demonstrate to the students that the neuromaturational theory is no longer viable by examining the body of research that contradicts its premises; 2) Illustrate the similarities between the perception-action, dynamic systems, and neuronal group selection theories, including their emphasis on the perception-action-cognition connection, and the importance of spontaneous exploration and problem solving in the developmental process, by examining related current research evidence; 3) Discard the emphasis on movement patterns and primitive reflexes when teaching observational movement analysis; 4) Include the following components into the observational movement analysis: relationship of the child’s body to the support surface and to gravity; self-initiated exploratory behaviors directed at objects, people, and support surfaces in the child’s environment; variability of movement and postural control; and adaptability of movement and posture to novel situations and changing environmental conditions; 5) Discard “teaching” of motor milestones and correcting movement patterns as intervention strategies; and 6) Teach interventions supported by current evidence that promote spontaneous exploration and problem solving under optimally challenging conditions.3,6-10 We suggest that following this road map will empower pediatric faculty to light the torch of knowledge translation for DPT graduates entering clinical practice.