Background. Health professionals and new graduates alike are expected to be efficient in applying evidence-based practice. Research and evidencebased practice skills are taught in the research modules at university, but it is not clear whether students translate those skills into clinical practice. Objective. To determine the self-assessment literature-searching behaviour, self-perceived knowledge of critical appraisal skills and evidence-based practice beliefs of final-year undergraduate physiotherapy students at a university in South Africa. Methods. This study used a quantitative approach, with a small qualitative component. A convenience sample of the final-year undergraduate physiotherapy students (N=36) registered for the 2012 academic year was approached to participate in the study. Data were collected using an existing questionnaire. Results. The study yielded a 75% response rate. With regard to literature-searching skills, 30% searched for literature more than once a week, 52% searched only for specific information and most had access to literature. Students received their information from journal articles (85%), the internet and databases. They were slightly confident when it came to literature appraisal and believed that evidence-based practice was essential to their practice (96%), but expressed a need for more training (59%). Their understanding of the evidence-based practice concept was limited because they based their treatment choices on content and other role-models, and related their choices to their previous patient experiences. Conclusion. Students believed that evidence-based practice was vital, yet their understanding of the concept was restricted when compared with the literature and they expressed a need for further training.

Background. The Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) is widely recognised as one of the more objective methods of assessing practical skills in healthcare programmes, including undergraduate physiotherapy curricula. Objectives. To obtain feedback from both students and staff who were involved in the introduction of an OSPE in 2011, in order to refine and standardise the format throughout the curriculum. Methods. A qualitative research design was used. Data were gathered through a questionnaire with semi-structured open-ended items and focus group discussion. Participants were all third-year undergraduate physiotherapy students (N=47) and all staff members (N=10) in the 2011 academic year who were exposed to the OSPE format or were involved in the first OSPE. Results. The main concerns raised by both students and staff were: (i) pressure due to time constraints and how this might affect student performance; and (ii) the question of objectivity during the assessment. However, their initial concerns changed as they experienced the OSPE in a more positive manner owing to the structure and objectivity of the process of implementing the OSPE. Conclusion. While both students and staff reported positive experiences, the challenges that emerged provided valuable insight in terms of refining the OSPE format in this undergraduate physiotherapy department.

BackgroundClinical education is an integral part of undergraduate physiotherapy training (Lekkas et al. 2007). Students in allied health professions struggle to bridge the gap between the theory taught in classrooms and the implementation of the same in a clinical setting (Sharif & Masoumi 2005). In a recent South African study, the clinical environment and training was identified as a major source of stress for undergraduate physiotherapy students (Janse van Vuuren, Bodenstein & Nel 2018). Similar results were reported in a study conducted on stressors amongst physiotherapy students in Pakistan (Sabih, Siddiqui & Baber 2013). Clinical practice has also been identified as the most stressful and anxiety-provoking component for students in the nursing profession (Sharif & Masoumi 2005;Sheila, Huey-Shyon & Shiowli 2002).Bridging the knowledge-practice gap is a complex process in clinical education, and having only discipline-specific knowledge does not ensure success in the clinical environment. Factors that have assisted student learning on clinical platforms include providing opportunities to Background: Students struggle to bridge the gap between theory and application thereof in clinical settings. Exploring the behaviours of students who have been shown to be successful in the clinical practice module of physiotherapy could provide an insight into what facilitated their success. Sharing this information with other students could assist with decreasing anxiety and improving student success. Objectives:The objective of this study was to explore behaviours that facilitate student success in a physiotherapy clinical practice module from the perspective of high-achieving students.Method: Data were collected at the University of the Western Cape's physiotherapy department in South Africa. Ten students with the highest marks in clinical practice from the 2016 and 2017 final-year cohorts were purposively selected and invited to participate in two different Nominal Group Technique (NGT) discussions. In total, 14 students consented to participate in the study. A demographic and socio-economic status questionnaire and an NGT discussion were used to collect data. Participants analysed the NGT discussion data themselves by ranking facilitators in order of priority.Results: Doing pre-block preparation, self-reflection and having a good rapport with patients as well as personal motivation and coping strategies were identified as the most important behavioural facilitators for physiotherapy students' success in a clinical practice module. Conclusion:Clinical practice is considered to be the most stressful module for undergraduate physiotherapy students. Considering this, recommendations from previously successful students could contribute towards the success of present and future students and in decreasing the stress associated with clinical practice. Clinical implications:Recommendations from students on behavioural facilitators that enabled them to be successful in a physiotherapy clinical practice module can assist future st...