Date of Award
3-12-2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate of Education, Ed.D.
College
College of Education
Department
Education
First Advisor
Donna Graham, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Dana Shelton, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Michael Hollis, Ph.D.
Abstract
Clinical education plays an important role in entry-level, doctoral training for physical therapists. While completing clinical education experiences, Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students self-assess clinical performance and are also assessed by their assigned clinical instructors. Student self-assessment accuracy has not been widely studied in DPT education in the United States. Insight into DPT student self-assessment patterns is needed to inform best practice in DPT clinical performance assessment. The National Consortium of Clinical Educators identified the need to study clinical performance assessment tools for DPT clinical education. This study investigated the perceived accuracy of student self-assessment of clinical performance in DPT education as measured by two assessment tools and congruence with clinical instructor ratings. Guided by adult learning theory, this quasi-experimental, quantitative design compared DPT student self-assessment accuracy between the Physical Therapist Clinical Performance Instrument (PTCPI) and the Clinical Internship Evaluation Tool (CIET). The manipulated independent variable was the clinical performance assessment tool. Subjects were not randomly assigned to groups, but assigned based on cohort. The clinical performance assessment tool utilized by the control group represented the current assessment standard for DPT education. Results revealed DPT student were accurate in self-assessment of clinical performance in all but the control group PTCPI final evaluation (n = 52). At the final assessment, DPT students in the control group rated themselves significantly lower than their clinical instructors. Student self-ratings in the experimental group were congruent with clinical instructor ratings at midterm and final (n = 51). There was improved DPT student self-assessment accuracy observed in the experimental group evaluated using the CIET.