A Survey of Physical Therapist Education: Relationships Among Pediatric Curriculum Delivery, Faculty, and Clinical Education

Abstract

Introduction. This study is a secondary analysis of a 2014 survey study exploring pediatric clinical education in professional physical therapist (PT) education and describes PT education programs within the United States with respect to (1) how the pediatric curricular content is delivered; (2) the characteristics of the individual primarily responsible for delivering the pediatric content; (3) the relationship between characteristics of the individual primarily responsible for delivering the pediatric content and a program's report of sufficient numbers and variety of pediatric clinical education sites; and (4) the relationship between the type of pediatric curricular design used by a program and the program's report of sufficient numbers and variety of pediatric clinical education sites. Methods. A single Director of Clinical Education/Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education from 159 accredited professional PT programs completed the survey. Survey questions in this secondary analysis of the 2014 survey study pertain to the delivery of the pediatric content, characteristics of faculty, and pediatric clinical education experiences. Cross tabulations were used to examine possible relationships. Results. Ninety-nine (62.3%) responding programs reported delivery of the pediatric content through a single stand-alone course. One hundred and twelve (70.4%) responding programs reported that the pediatric content was delivered by a core faculty member with pediatric clinical experience. No significant relationships were found between a report of sufficient numbers and variety of pediatric clinical education sites and either characteristics of individuals delivering the pediatric curricular content or the type of pediatric curricular design used by a program. Discussion and Conclusion. Delivery methods for the pediatric curricular content are variable. Characteristics of the individual delivering this pediatric content are mixed.