Physiotherapists’ reported attitudes to and perceived influences on their continuing professional development: results of an online questionnaire

Abstract

Background/aims Intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence physiotherapists’ participation in continuing professional development. A number of benefits of and barriers to participation in continuing professional development are identified in the literature, but relatively little is known about factors that influence attitudes towards continued learning. The aim of this study was to identify factors influencing UK physiotherapists’ attitudes towards continuing professional development, with a focus on career point and type of employment, in the context of motivational theories. Methods An online questionnaire consisting of Likert-style questions was used to collect data from UK physiotherapists. Nominal and ordinal data were analysed to determine differences between subgroups within the dataset. Results A total of 205 physiotherapists completed the online questionnaire. Physiotherapists were generally internally motivated towards continuing professional development, but attitudes were influenced by career point and whether physiotherapists worked in the NHS or in the private sector. External factors appeared to have a negative effect on motivation towards continuing professional development. Conclusion: Differences in attitudes at different points on the career path suggest that organisational structure may impede lifelong learning at some stages in career progression, while differences between those working privately and for the NHS may potentially reflect organisational differences between these types of employment.

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