Exploring attitudes of physiotherapy students towards a community-based project used as a learning tool

Background: Community-based projects are an experiential learning tool that provides students with an opportunity to work within a team, to apply their skills and to learn in real workplace settings. Promoting physical activity is an important component of physiotherapy education, but the best method for training students to promote physical activity is open for discussion. Purpose: This study explored the attitudes and learning experiences of physiotherapy students who worked in groups to complete a community-based project involving the delivery of physical activity programs to a healthy population. Methods: Data were collected from a focus group of eight physiotherapy students each of whom had participated in a community-based project early in their studies. Results: Four themes emerged from the analysis of the data: 1) self-confidence and independence; 2) creativity and innovation; 3) effective communication; and 4) team dynamics. The students had positive attitudes toward community-based projects and reported that their experiences were a highly valued component of their early practice-based learning. The findings of this study are expected to encourage educators to use community-based projects early in undergraduate physiotherapy programs, as it helps students develop professional skills such as effective communication, creativity, and innovation. Students also learned to innovate to solve real-world problems in the workplace such as resource limitations. They also learned to appreciate the importance of team dynamics in a successful intervention. Conclusion: The findings suggest early participation in community-based projects is an excellent way for physiotherapy students to develop the competencies required for clinical practice and for their role in promoting physical activity.