The Relationship Between Student Development Theory and a Professional Abilities Model for Physical Therapy Education

Abstract

Background and Purpose. Generic abilities define a repertoire of behaviors deemed essential for success in the physical therapy profession. Many physical therapist education programs have adopted some form of the generic abilities to foster and measure development of professional behaviors by students. Methods proposed for fostering development of professional behaviors include explicit instruction, role modeling, mentoring, guided reflection, and individual advising. Understanding of the cognitive and psychosocial development of individual students and appreciation of the impact of the developmental level on readiness to learn may help guide educators in choosing the most appropriate interventions for students across the spectrum of maturity and throughout the developmental process. The purpose of this article is to examine a model of generic abilities from the perspective of student development theory. Position and Rationale. Descriptors and sample behaviors of a model of generic abilities were analyzed in terms of the major tenets of 4 theories of intellectual and ethical development, cognitive development, and moral development. Aspects of psychosocial and identity development appear linked to all of the professional abilities. Cognitive development seems closely linked to behaviors of problem solving and critical thinking. Moral development may influence broad areas of professionalism, responsibility, and social responsibility. Discussion and Conclusion. An understanding of broad aspects of psychosocial, cognitive, and moral development may enhance the effectiveness of physical therapy faculty in nurturing development of professional behaviors in physical therapist students. The developmental process may be enhanced by fostering an environment that provides essential challenges and appropriate support for students across all 3 domains of development throughout the physical therapy curriculum. Key Words: Generic abilities, Physical therapy education, Student development theory. INTRODUCTION Educators in law, medicine, and the allied health care professions have long recognized that in addition to a core knowledge base and essential psychomotor competencies, students must acquire a repertoire of generic behaviors to be successful in fulfilling the desired professional role.1 The generic behaviors ensure that students will have the abilities to generalize information and skills from one context to another; assimilate information from different sources; apply knowledge and skills in the actual practice setting; integrate skills across cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains; and communicate effectively with a variety of people, including clients, colleagues, and interested community parties.1 Generic abilities are those traits or behaviors independent of the profession's core of knowledge and skills that are required for successful practice in the given profession.1 Ability-based assessment involves the observation and evaluation of student behavior across the range of generic abilities. May et al1 were the first in the field of physical therapy to describe the adaptation of a set of generic abilities to a physical therapist education program and to discuss the implementation of an ability-based assessment program across a physical therapy curriculum. Following the lead of May and colleagues, many physical therapist programs across the United States have adopted some form of the generic abilities to help foster and measure development of professional behaviors by students. While the generic abilities define a repertoire of behaviors deemed essential for success in the physical therapy profession, they offer little insight into the personal characteristics that underlie the behaviors or change in the behaviors over time. Psychosocial theory and cognitive-structural theory, which help to illuminate characteristics of personal and interpersonal lives and the ways in which people think, may provide insight into aspects of behavior and performance as defined by the abilities. …