Service Learnings Effectiveness at Improving Doctor of Physical Therapy Graduate Students’ Professional Skills

Authors

  • Stephen Wayne Elam University of Lynchburg

Abstract

Service-learning in graduate education is commonly utilized but has limited studies on its effectiveness. Can service-learning be implemented in graduate education in a way that enhances the experience for the students? Most service-learning research has focused on service-learning at an undergraduate level in nursing, social work, public health, and occupational health (Lu & Lambright, 2010). This study replicates Lu and Lambright’s study with Doctor of Physical Therapy program students to expand research on the impact of service-learning experiences on professional skills in graduate students. Our findings suggest how integrated the project was into the curriculum and how much influence students have over how their project progressed was significant and positively associated with improved professional skills.

Author Biography

Stephen Wayne Elam, University of Lynchburg

Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Assistant Professor

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Published

2024-02-24