Year: 2025 | Month: November | Volume: 15 | Issue: 11 | Pages: 103-109
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20251114
Assessment of Reflective Capacity and Its Association with Self-Directed Learning and Clinical Competency in Final Year Physiotherapy Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
Shruti Prabhakaran Nair1, Bhavana Suhas Mhatre2, Vrushali Prashant Panhale3
1Associate Professor, MGM College of Physiotherapy, Navi Mumbai;
PhD Scholar, Physiotherapy School & Centre, Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital, Mumbai.
2Professor (contract), Physiotherapy School & Centre, Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital, Mumbai.
3Professor, MGM College of Physiotherapy, Navi Mumbai.
Corresponding Author: Dr. Shruti Prabhakaran Nair (PT)
ABSTRACT
Background: The ability to reflect on one’s performance is a crucial skill for personal and professional development. In health professions, it is necessary to cultivate learners who along with being a skilled clinician, have the aptitude for problem-solving, clinical reasoning, critical thinking and self-regulated learning leading to life-long learning. Reflection is one of the processes that provide the possibility of cultivating and creating such capacities in these learners. This study aimed to explore association of reflective thinking with self-directed learning and clinical competency of final year Physiotherapy students.
Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among thirty final year Physiotherapy students at a single institute affiliated to a state health science university. Reflective capacity of students was assessed using Kember’s reflection thinking questionnaire (RTQ). Self-directed learning and clinical competency were assessed using self-rating scale of self-directed learning (SRSSDL) and Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice (APP) tool respectively. Data was analysed using SPSS software version 25. Association between the variables was assessed using Spearman’s ranked order correlation test.
Results: Study included 30 Physiotherapy final BPTh students having mean age of 21.20±1.09 years with 16.67 %(n=05) males and & 83.33% (n=25) females. Mean scores of RTQ was found to be 60.71(7.21). Reflective capacity showed a statistically significant weak positive correlation with SRSSDL score (r=0.34, p≤0.05) but didn’t not have a significant correlation with APP score (r=0.12, p=0.54).
Conclusion: Present study found that Physiotherapy students demonstrated some reflective potential that correlated with their self-directed learning; however, it did not show any relation with their clinical competency.
Key words: reflection, clinical competence, self-directed learning, learner, thinking, questionnaire