Exploring Physiotherapy Students' Experiential Learning with Physical Modalities and their Relationship to Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices: A Mixed Methods Investigation

Authors

Muhammed Rashid, Discipline of Physiotherapy, School of Allied Health, Human Service & Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
Anoop Joy, Laxmi Memorial College of Physiotherapy, Mangaluru, India
Kavitha Raja, JSS College of Physiotherapy, Mysuru, India
Jerin Mathew, Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.Follow

Abstract

Purpose: An experiential learning approach (ExL) is imperative in physiotherapy education as it facilitates the conscious recognition and transformation of experiences in clinical practice. Thus, ExL can help reduce fear avoidance and apprehension behaviour by allowing students to gain hands-on experience and confidence in delivering optimal patient care. The primary objective of this study was to explore physiotherapy students' thresholds and tolerance to noxious thermal and pressure stimuli and how these factors correlate with their self-reported Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) outcomes.

Methods: A mixed-method approach was employed, incorporating descriptive, qualitative, and exploratory research design methods to investigate the student’s experiences and perspectives on physical modalities. Fifty-four physiotherapy students underwent a cold-induced test and a tourniquet pressure test in phase one and completed a KAP questionnaire in phase two. A between-group analysis was performed for experimental pain outcomes, and a bivariate correlation analysis was conducted between the categorical variables of the KAP and the pain outcomes.

Results: A significant difference in pain perception between males and females was found. Males reported a longer time to attain pain threshold in both the tourniquet pressure test (mean rank 76.42) and the cold-induced test (76.70). Students considered cold immersion and tourniquet as noxious, and even lower numbers on the scales conspired as pain, with females more likely to report pain earlier. There was no correlation between knowledge and practice or practice and pain experience.

Conclusion: Student physiotherapists found cold immersion and the use of tourniquet tests to be unpleasant, and even lower scores on the Visual Analog Scale indicated the presence of pain. Notably, a sex difference in pain threshold and tolerance was observed, with females more likely to report pain at an earlier stage. There was no relationship between knowledge and practice or practice and pain perception

Recommended Citation

Rashid, Muhammed; Joy, Anoop; Raja, Kavitha; and Mathew, Jerin (2024) "Exploring Physiotherapy Students' Experiential Learning with Physical Modalities and their Relationship to Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices: A Mixed Methods Investigation," Health Professions Education: Vol. 10: Iss. 4, Article 11.
DOI: 10.55890/2452-3011.1308
Available at: https://hpe.researchcommons.org/journal/vol10/iss4/11