The effect of integrated transformative education strategies on student's learning outcomes of conventional undergraduate physiotherapy education

Last registered on May 23, 2017

Pre-Trial

General Information

Title

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0002219

Initial registration date

May 23, 2017

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published

May 23, 2017, 11:43 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country

United Arab Emirates

Region

AJMAN

Primary Investigator

Name

RAMPRASAD MUTHUKRISNAN

Affiliation

GULF MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status

On going

Start date

2016-02-01

End date

2018-06-30

Keywords

Education

Additional Keywords

Transformative education, education, Critical pedagogy, Physiotherapy, students

JEL code(s)

123

Secondary IDs

Abstract

The effect of integrated transformative education (TE) strategies on student’s learning outcomes of conventional undergraduate physiotherapy education:

The need of imparting TE strategies into teaching-learning process is increasing with globalization and with advent of interprofessional education. LANCET experts committee (2010) report on Medical Education expressed Freire’s concepts of critical pedagogy and Mezirow’s transformation theory as a basis to educate new century health professionals for the labour markets of health and education system.1 They proposed a competency based education model that was derived on the basis of heath needs and social accountability. Both local and global health needs and social accountability were the theme of origin to generate competencies for the curriculum which constantly meets day to day demand. Further Lancet report recommended the transformative education equipped with problem based teaching and competency driven curriculum with leadership attributes rather being a professional of a discipline. In spite of above directions, the current format of health education may not resonant with these directions. Apart from discipline knowledge and problem solving, transformative education targets leadership (work as group and support each other), global and cultural competency (ability to work with diverse cultural population and engaged in current heath care events and treatment trends), service learning & civic engagement, and health & wellness of the learner. Further transformative education provides opportunities to develop critical thinking skills, effective communication and team collaboration, which aims for the common clinical goal rather than segregated multidisciplinary distinct goals.2, 3
This study will evaluate the impact of integrated transformative education strategies into conventional under-graduate physiotherapy curriculum particularly in the competencies related to a) knowledge, b) problem solving and c) global and cultural efficiency.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

MUTHUKRISNAN, RAMPRASAD. 2017. "The effect of integrated transformative education strategies on student's learning outcomes of conventional undergraduate physiotherapy education." AEA RCT Registry. May 23. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.2219-1.0

Former Citation

Sponsors & Partners

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

The teaching learning experiences will be given thorough the modes of exercises such as clinical problem solving and assignments. TE exercises will be given in the form of blogging, concepts maps and report writing and clinical based problem solving for clinical scenarios. The discussion activities will use community health strategies such as screening, identifying community health problem & solving methods and comparing with global scenarios. This learning method will be implemented in topics in the course of physiotherapy in community health, community based rehabilitation and physiotherapy in neuroscience as integrated module. Selected topics will be used to form concepts maps to target deeper learning. Themes, objectives and teaching and learning methods to be used in transformative education will be analysed using content validity. Online Modified Case based learning (CBL) scenarios will be created for clinical problem solving. Modified CBL session assignments, group discussions or arguments, students feedback will be directed to target to provide perspectives of disease, individual, family and their impact on community, nation and global health. Through the online modified CBL, learning curiosity will be enhanced by a) brain storming (discussions and arguments) the case b) suggest various options even outside the tangents listed c) providing self –directed learning d) generate case management strategies by open inquiry and e) providing opportunities for problem solving.
This strategy will provide opportunity to the learner to discern best possible community health diagnosis out of various disorders presented, treatment possibilities and global scenario i.e., global advances in diagnosis and treatment and cultural scenarios specific to the people. In the course of self-directed learning, visits to on-going conference governmental, private and international health care providers operating in UAE, meeting health authorities in and health policy debates will be arranged. Project writing and blogging on above visits and debates will be encouraged which targets problem solving and enhance perspectives of global health. This will provide real opportunities and experience to the learner to develop different perspectives of disease to encounter CBR in more realistic approach. TE strategies in this study aims to expedite the course objectives such as “analyse and evaluate” than to “remember” and “understand” in the knowledge domain thus providing deeper understanding. The other skills targeted are a) develop team work with collaboration and communication b) develop several perspectives for disease using evidence based practice and c) encourage internalization by the means of emphatically counsel the culturally diverse patients by community engagements .

Intervention Start Date

2016-09-04

Intervention End Date

2017-12-28

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

Learning outcomes of trans formative education compared to teacher centered education
survey on learning outcomes met
Facilitator perceived outcomes related to transformative education thresholds
Transformative thresholds criteria occurred during intervention

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

primary: TE specific thresholds spotted by facilitators
1. A questionnaire will be developed and validated for knowledge, problem solving and global competency domains. This questionnaire will provide perceptual indicators for method of teaching and competencies facilitated in student population. This will explore the percentage of student population and their attitude on transformative education as well as trans-missive education.
2. Formative assessments using MCQ for knowledge domain
3. Formative assessment using online clinical case based scenarios – feedback of students. Clinical knowledge, problem solving skills and global competency domain
4. Interview (leadership and team work abilities – personal feedback, expressions of learners) rubric
5. Concept maps rubric
6. Blogging rubric
7. Critical writing rubric

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Design: Modified cross-over study with follow-up
Sample: Stratified random sampling method - Final year physiotherapy students (N=22).

Experimental Design Details

Randomization Method

Stratified random sampling method

Randomization Unit

Stratified (based on 1st and 2nd year mark percentages) random sampling method

Was the treatment clustered?

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

TWO CLUSTERS; 2014 COHORT, 2015 COHORT

Sample size: planned number of observations

2014 COHORT: n=22

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

cross over trial: Pre test -1
Group I(n=11)
Pre-test-2
TE Methods of teaching phase
Post-test-1
Conventional teaching phase
Post-test-2
Internship
Follow-up assessment

Group II(n=11)
Pre-test-2
Conventional teaching phase
Post-test-1
TE Methods of teaching phase
Post-test-2
Internship
Follow-up assessment

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

With 95 percent certainty all population will be sampled hence n = 21

Supporting Documents and Materials

IRB