Assessing the Development of Civic Mindedness in a Cohort of Physical Therapy Students

Main Article Content

Kerstin M Palombaro
Jill D Black
Robin L Dole
Jessica L Pierce
Marisa R Santiago
Edward J Sabara

Abstract

Introduction and Background

Colleges and universities have an obligation to educate graduate students who demonstrate civic literacy and who can engage in civic inquiry and action. Service-learning and community engagement courses are highly effective in developing civic-mindedness. Graduate professional programs may have additional reasons for focusing on development of civic mindedness. The purpose of this paper is 1) to determine if civic-mindedness increased in a cohort of physical therapy students exposed to a variety of civic engagement programs and service-learning courses and 2) to determine if there is a difference in civic-mindedness between students serving on a clinic Student Board and their classmates in a graduate physical therapy program.

Methods

The Civic-Minded Professional Scale (CMP) is a 23-item, 7-point Likert-scale survey designed to measure the domains of self-identity; work, career and profession; and civic attitudes, civic action, and public purpose to measure the construct of civic-mindedness. The CMP was administered to a cohort of graduate physical therapy students at the beginning of the professional curriculum and at the end of each of three years of didactic coursework.

Results

Friedman’s repeated measures ANOVA with post hoc testing revealed that civic mindedness increased in our students throughout the course of the graduate physical therapy curriculum.

Discussion and Conclusion

Students involved in service-learning coursework imbedded throughout a graduate physical therapy program had increases in civic-mindedness. Service-learning coursework may be an effective way to develop civic mindedness in graduate students.

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How to Cite
Palombaro, K. M., Black, J. D., Dole, R. L., Pierce, J. L., Santiago, M. R., & Sabara, E. J. (2017). Assessing the Development of Civic Mindedness in a Cohort of Physical Therapy Students. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 17(4), 31–43. https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v17i4.21763
Section
Articles
Author Biographies

Kerstin M Palombaro, Widener University

Institute for Physical Therapy Education, Associate Professor and Community Engagement Coordinator

Jill D Black, Widener University

Institute for Physical Therapy Education, Associate Professor and Pro Bono Services Coordinator

Robin L Dole, Widener University

Institute for Physical Therapy Education, Associate Dean, Program Director, and Full Professor

Jessica L Pierce, PowerBack Rehabilitation

Physical Therapy, Staff Physical Therapist

Marisa R Santiago, Easter Seals

Easter Seals, Staff Physical Therapist

 

Edward J Sabara, Wallace and Nilan Physical Therapy and Fitness

Wallace and Nilan Physical Therapy and Fitness, Staff Physical Therapist

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