Qualities of Effective Service Learning in Physical Therapist Education

Background and Purpose. Service learning is a form of experiential education that combines student learning with meeting real community needs. The purposes of this study were to identify and describe the qualities of effective service learning in physical therapist education and to compare these characteristics with those cited in the literature. Subjects. Six physical therapist faculty members from a variety of physical therapist educational settings and with an average of 3.3 years of experience teaching service-learning courses were interviewed. Methods. The qualitative method selected for this inquiry was an emergent design in which the investigator continuously examined and interpreted the findings. Data sources included transcribed interviews, course outlines, university or program mission statements, and information gleaned from campus service-learning centers. The study participants and a content expert contributed to the verification of the emergent themes. Results. Course structure and examples of service-learning projects were identified. Through qualitative data analysis, 4 themes emerged as qualities effective for service learning in physical therapist education: institutional commitment, collaboration, meaningful service, and reflection. We developed a conceptual model that synthesized each theme by process and outcome. Discussion and Conclusions. The conceptual model suggests that effective service learning in physical therapist education has qualities substantiated by the literature as best practices. The significance of this study is to provide physical therapy educators with a resource of best practice principles in service learning. By analyzing these qualities, academic faculty will better be able to develop or improve service-learning courses in physical therapist education. They should secure institutional commitment in support of their effort, create authentic collaborations between communities and institutions of higher education, include service activities that are meaningful to both the community and students, and require structured reflection opportunities for students. Key Words: Service learning, Physical therapist education, Community-based learning. INTRODUCTION Many institutions of higher education in the United States are critically reexamining the purpose of their existence and effectiveness in meeting that purpose.1,2 The historical role of US higher education has been to prepare a citizenry for service and civic engagement,2,3 but fulfilling that role has become increasingly challenging in recent decades. One factor, as documented by a number of scholars,4,5 is the excessive individualism in contemporary US culture. Another significant challenge, as pointed out by Benson and Harkavy,6 is the commodification of education, such as education for profit, students viewed as customers, and academics expected to perform as superstars. Consider Boyer's appraisal of higher education: [W]hat I find most disturbing . . . is a growing feeling in this country that higher education is, in fact, part of the problem rather than the solution. Going still further that it's become a private benefit, not a public good. Increasingly, the campus is being viewed as a place where students get credentialed and faculty get tenured, while the overall work of the academy does not seem particularly relevant to the nation's most pressing civic, social, economic, and moral problems.7(p14) Substantial effort is taking place to redirect this course toward a greater emphasis on preparing college graduates for lives of service and civic-mtndedness.2 Service learning is receiving considerable attention and holds great promise for helping to meet the aforementioned needs. Its pedagogical emphasis has roots in experiential education and combines student learning with meeting real community needs.8 The research findings on the effects of service learning on students include positive effects on their sense of social responsibility and citizenship skills,9-11 personal development,"12 and academic outcomes, such as critical thinking and writing skills. …