Abstract
This chapter describes the design and evaluation of a week-long curricular initiative, designed to better prepare physiotherapy students for their transition to clinical practice. Students typically report a lack of preparation and associated anxieties in making the leap from university-based learning to experiential learning in the clinical setting. The transition programme aimed to soften this interface through presenting clear expectations of clinical practice and stakeholder roles, and encouraging students to develop skills in reflection and self-regulation. Despite the transition programme receiving high satisfaction ratings from students, participants reported that their priorities leading into their first clinical placement reflected a ‘survival focus’. That is, they articulated a preoccupation with acquisition and demonstration of technical/procedural skills and viewed metacognitive skill development as ‘peripheral’ to their core business. Incorporating reflective skill development within clinical scenarios, using the advice of older students experienced in clinical education, and leaning on the heuristics and storytelling of clinicians were all viewed as mechanisms to reinforce relevancy and encourage learner engagement in the transition curriculum.
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Acknowledgements
This project forms part of a wider national and multidisciplinary research project investigating professional learning. The national project was led by Professor Stephen Billett from Griffith University and was supported by an Australian Council of Teaching and Learning Grant. We would also like to acknowledge Stephen Maloney for his expertise in helping to operationalise the transition programme in the Department of Physiotherapy, Monash University.
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Molloy, E., Keating, J. (2011). Targeted Preparation for Clinical Practice. In: Billett, S., Henderson, A. (eds) Developing Learning Professionals. Professional and Practice-based Learning, vol 7. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3937-8_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3937-8_4
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