The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in a Physical Therapy Program

Abstract

The professional physical therapist education curriculum has two components: didactic and clinical. The didactic component includes classroom and laboratory experiences involving foundational (biological, physical, and behavioral) sciences, clinical sciences, and physical therapy sciences. The didactic component is designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors that are needed for entry into the practice of physical therapy. By its nature, however, the didactic component cannot provide students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors in the "real world" of physical therapist practice. Thus, the curriculum includes a clinical education component that typically involves experiences in clinical sites away from, and outside the direct control of, the academic institution.In general, the clinical education courses account for at least one third of the curriculum (whether measured by credits, contact hours, or length in NEW DIRECTIONS FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING •