International Service-Learning: Feedback From a Community Served

Abstract

Introduction. Mutual benefit to participants and recipients of international service-learning (ISL) is often assumed by academic institutions when bringing medical/health care and education to underserved countries. Research documenting feedback from host communities is needed in all disciplines, including physical therapy. Overall, host communities seem to appreciate collaborations with ISL visiting teams; however, these communities may endure hardships unbeknownst to visiting partners such as reinforcement of negative attitudes, disruption of community relations and dynamics, interactions with culturally insensitive visitors, and poor quality care. The purpose of this study was to collect and document feedback from a host community after a 2-week ISL experience with Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students and faculty. Methods. Twelve community leaders who interacted daily with DPT students and faculty were interviewed. Individual interviews were completed and transcribed. The constant comparative method was used to generate themes. Results. Overall, the community felt that their the interactions with the ISL team 1) improved local cultural attitudes about disability, 2) improved awareness of the role of physical therapy, 3) fostered strong, respectful relationships between the community and team, and 4) strengthened the desire to sustain the partnership. Discussion and Conclusion. The host community was very satisfied with the partnership and wished to strengthen relationships for long-term sustainability. Recommendations for the ISL curriculum in physical therapist education were identified or reinforced from this study.

Uncovering Ethical Dilemmas in International Service-Learning: A Grounded Theory

“…Hayward et al 14,34,68 have demonstrated their focus on obtaining and integrating their community partner's perspectives to inform, sustain, and improve the relationship between the host and the academic partner. Haines and Lambaria 35 interviewed 12 community members to obtain the community's feedback regarding the ISL experience, and Petersen et al 36 used the conceptual model of ISL to evaluate their ISL experience. DPT programs can also look to resources from other fields to inform best practice.…”

“…17 Studies that have considered the host's perspective point to the challenges associated with such experiences, such as language and cultural barriers impacting a therapeutic alliance, 14 potential for dependency, 34 and concerns regarding follow-up. 14,34,35 These concerns relate directly to the issue of patient beneficence and form the support for this study.…”

“…19,23,[25][26][27][28]33,34 The Benefit Narrative International Service-Learning in physical therapy literature has been studied disproportionately as it pertains to the student benefit [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] versus patient/client benefit or the effects it has on the host community. [34][35][36] e benefits to students include (1) improved cultural competence 6-9,11,13-15 ; (2) improved critical thinking and problem-solving skills 6,10 ; (3) improved interpersonal skills and global awareness 11,12 ; (4) improved communication skills 6,8,10,14 ; (5) desire to promote global programs 11 ; (6) improved professionalism 6,[8][9][10]14 ; and (7) enhanced sense of social responsibility. 8,9,12,14 By highlighting the benefits of ISL, universities potentially increase their marketability by attracting students who may hold the widely prevalent view that international experiences are valued by employers and consider engaging in such experiences for professional development.…”

Physical Therapists' Perceptions of Preparedness to Engage in Culturally Competent Practice Upon Graduation: A Qualitative Research Study

“…Students who participate in international service-learning adapt to patient needs based on cultural beliefs, reduce communication barriers by learning conversational and medical terminology in the local language, and can positively affect community perceptions of disability and health care intervention. 55,56 Local or international service-learning opportunities require students to interact with patients who may present with complex or unfamiliar biopsychosocial histories. 55,57,58 Unfamiliarity can stimulate creative thinking and execution of clinical care and produce self-reflection of personal perceptions, behaviors, and attitudes.…”

A novel instrument for the community-centered assessment of outcomes resulting from visits by foreign student groups

“…Community-centred impact assessments of CBGL programs have typically relied on focus groups, structured or semi-structured interviews, or open-ended response questionnaires to gather community views and opinions (Blouin & Perry 2009;Choudhary & Jesiek 2016;Goemans et al 2018;Grain et al 2019;Habashy & Hunt 2021;Haines & Lambaria 2018;Jordaan & Mennega 2021;Kindred 2020;Miron & Moely 2006;Reynolds 2014Reynolds , 2019Sweatman & Warner 2020). Although these methodologies are completely appropriate for this type of assessment and can provide feedback that is rich in detail, they are not without limitations.…”