Factors in Successful Humanities Curricular Integration: A Blueprint for Educators
TITLE: Factors in Successful Humanities Curricular Integration: A Blueprint for Educators
ABSTRACT BODY
Purpose/Hypothesis: Humanities have been recognized as an effective pedagogical tool for exposing physical therapy students to diverse human experiences in order to develop a holistic, empathetic, and sensitive patient-centered approach. Perceived benefits of humanities include development of “soft skills” and reflective abilities, formation of professional identity, cultivation of well-rounded clinicians, and creation of transformative experiences. Physical therapy education programs may aspire to add humanities to their curricula but be uncertain of how to do it effectively, and very little can be found in the literature to help with planning. The purpose of this study was to examine the methods of humanities integration and supporting factors contributing to success in one physical therapy program committed to including humanities in its curriculum.
Number of Subjects: Seventeen interview participants from one physical therapist education program including faculty, students, and alumni.
Materials and Methods: This research used a qualitative single case study approach. An onsite visit to the program included individual interviews, review of numerous artifacts, and observations of various events on campus. Interviews were transcribed and coded, then analyzed for themes.
Results: Pedagogical approaches frequently identified as effective included repeated exposure to humanities, placing humanities at the curricular core, explicitness about the benefits of humanities, making activities relevant to the students, sensitivity to time constraints, and assessment of the impact of humanities. Factors supporting humanities integration at the institutional level included commitment to liberal arts tradition, having a campus culture which reflects the importance of humanities, allocation of resources, and interdisciplinary collaboration. At the departmental level, purposive faculty and student selection, program director support, and faculty mentors were all identified as essential. Challenges to humanities integration were identified as lack of faculty and student buy-in, limited faculty knowledge regarding use of humanities, student stress, time constraints, limited space in the curriculum, and devaluing of the humanities by the physical therapy profession.
Conclusions: Humanities integration provides many benefits to physical therapy students in their professional formation and comprehensive understanding of patient care. Successful integration may be cultivated by informed pedagogical approaches and attention to the institutional and departmental factors which support humanities. Some facets identified are unique to the university that was studied, but many can be generalized to any physical therapy education program.
Clinical Relevance: This study helps to guide physical therapist education programs looking to add or increase presence of humanities by identifying curricular approaches and supporting factors that should be addressed to ensure successful integration.