Reflecting on student‐led teaching experiences allows students to become metacognitively aware of their anatomy and physiology knowledge

Abstract

For several years, Maryville University has offered a week‐long summer program for high school students entitled Body Basics: Exploring Anatomy. Recently, the instruction of this course was transferred to upper‐level undergraduate physical therapy (PT) students. The PT students previously had taken combined Anatomy and Physiology coursework, as well as a year‐long gross anatomy dissection course. This student‐faculty collaborative study investigated the impact of student‐centered learning on the physical therapy students (the ‘teachers’ of this course) and whether the experience may influence their ability to articulate knowledge of anatomy and physiology to individuals with little or no anatomical background. The PT students journaled about their teaching experiences and completed surveys about their teaching experience. An inductive (qualitative) analysis of the journals was performed to determine common ‘themes’ about the PT students' teaching experience and their prior perceptions about their effectiveness as instructors. This study presents the case that assuming a teaching role requires students to explain concepts in anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology to a “lay audience” helping them attain clinical skills in communicating difficult concepts to patients they will eventually encounter.