Incivility in Physical Therapy Education Programs: Perceptions of Students and Faculty
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the perception of incivility in physical therapy (PT) education programs. For the purposes of this study, incivility is defined as any behavior that disrupts learning in the classroom or the learning environment. This study will explore differences in perceptions based on role (student, faculty) and year in the PT program. The specific research questions include: 1) Which student behaviors are perceived to be uncivil by PT students and faculty? 2) How often are uncivil student behaviors perceived to occur in PT education programs? 3) Which faculty behaviors are perceived to be uncivil by PT students and faculty? 4) How often are uncivil faculty behaviors perceived to occur in PT education programs? 5) Does an individual's role (student/faculty) or a student's year in the professional program impact perceptions of incivility in PT education?Methods/Description: Incivility is thought to be increasing throughout our society and in higher education. Leaders are perceived as increasingly uncivil in executing their positions. In higher education uncivil behaviors are those which are perceived as disrespectful behaviors that disrupt the learning environment. This study is a cross-sectional design. IRB approval was obtained. An electronic survey about perceptions of uncivil behaviors was sent to all PT students and faculty at the 6 PT programs in Michigan as well as an additional national random sample of 10 PT programs The survey was based on a previously validated survey used in undergraduate and nursing education incivility studies. The survey consists of four sections: 1) demographic information, 2) perception of student behaviors (29 items), 3) perception of faculty behaviors (22 items) and 4) comments on impact and management strategies. Each participant rated their perception of how frequently a behavior occurred (4-pt scale) and the relative degree of incivility (4-pt scale) Data is analyzed using SPSS, v 24. Descriptive statistics are used to describe demographic and perception responses. Inferential statistics (parametric or non-parametric as appropriate based on whether assumptions are met) are used to describe relationships between variables.Results/Outcomes: The most frequently cited uncivil student behaviors and faculty behaviors are reported as well as the most frequently occurring uncivil student and faculty behaviors. The outcomes are explored for differences in perceptions based on role (student/faculty) as well as year in the program. Strategies to manage uncivil behavior is discussed.Conclusions/Relevance to the conference theme: Our Leadership Landscape: Perspectives from the Ground Level to 30,000 Feet: Incivility is a growing concern in higher education, including in PT education programs. Identifying which student and faculty behaviors are considered to be uncivil, how frequently they occur and the impact they have on the learning environment is a first step in identifying effective classroom strategies to manage uncivil behaviors. Managing uncivil behavior is an important skill leading us to resilience in PT education.References: Bjorklund, W. R., Diana. (2010). Student Perceptions of Classroom Incivility. College Teaching, 58, 15-18. Clark, C. (2008). Faculty and Student Assessment of and Experience with Incivility in Nursing Education. Journal of Nursing Education, 47(10), 458-466. Clark, C. B.-L., Celestina, Gill, Larecia, Nguyen, Danh. (2015). Revision and Psychometric Testing of the Incivility in Nursing Education (INE) Survey: Introducing the INE-R. Journal of Nursing Education, 54(6), 306-315. Stubbs, B., & Soundy, A. (2013). Physiotherapy students' experiences of bullying on clinical internships: an exploratory study. Physiotherapy, 99(2), 178-180. doi:10.1016/j.physio.2013.01.001