Reflective practice in physiotherapy curricula: a survey of UK university based professional practice coordinators

Figures & data

Figure 1. What formal training have you had in the use of reflective practice?

Figure 2. How long has reflection been utilized as a formal learning tool within your undergraduate curriculum?

Figure 3. What do you feel/are the main barrier(s) to reflective practice facilitation within your curriculum?

Table 1.  What is/are the main method(s) of facilitating reflective practice within your undergraduate physiotherapy curriculum?

Reflective method	Frequency	Responses (%)
Reflective discussion	18	25.4
Clinical log diary/journal/CPD	19	26.8
Critical incident	14	19.7
Learning contract	17	23.9
Stimulated recall via video/audiotape	1	1.4
Other	2	2.8
Total	71	100.0

The categories were not mutually exclusive and respondents ticked all responses that applied.

Table 2.  What do you feel are the main advantages of teaching reflective practice to physiotherapy students?

Ranking variable	Frequency	%
Allows critical evaluation	7	31.8
Aids problem solving	14	63.6
Other	1	4.6
Total	21	100.0

Table 3.  What do you feel are the main disadvantages of teaching reflective practice to physiotherapy students?

Ranking variable	Frequency	%
Time consuming	12	54.5
Confidentiality/privacy affected	6	27.3
Relies on memory	3	13.6
Poor evidence to support use	0	0
Other	1	4.5
Total	22	100.0

Table 4.  Emergent Themes/Concepts from open-ended question responses

Category A: reflection is easier for some students than others

• On the whole developing the ability to reflect works well with some students, using the portfolio identifies which students do reflect.

• Reflective practice is a skill that needs to be developed like any other.

• Some are natural diary writers and may find reflective record keeping easy while others may be very good at internal reflection, however, they may find it difficult to quantify the reflection as written records.

Category B: reflection requires knowledge and experience

• Students need time early on to develop the skills necessary to reflect.

• There is a definite progression of attitudes in our third year students, they’ve developed strong skills of self-reflection and are much more responsive and less guarded in peer review.

• Undergraduate students do not necessarily act on plans arising from reflective assignments. Postgraduate students appear to be better able to utilize reflective practice to make major strides in their practice/careers.

Category C: reflection ‘on’/‘in’ action

• Reflection needs to be ongoing and have follow up to assist students to be motivated to continue. They need feedback, assistance to reflect efficiently i.e. more reflection ‘into’ action.

• Reflection ‘in’ practice is an advanced skill and to optimize learning by students, reflection ‘on’ practice is the starting point.

Category D: reflective practice aids problem solving & decision making

• Reflective discussion helps students to recognize how their decisions were made.

• Through reflection upon practice they are able to challenge ideas procedures practices etc. and therefore begin to formulate ideas for better ways of doing things.

Table

•Physiotherapy educators believed that reflective practice should be considered to be a central component of physiotherapy teaching strategies.

•There is great diversity of experience in educators both in terms of their role as Coordinator of clinical education and their training in reflective practice.

•Reflective practice within physiotherapy education is utilized as a method for reducing the ‘theory-practice gap’.

•There is no clear consensus regarding facilitative models or assessment methods for reflective practice in the physiotherapy curriculum.