Changes in Self-Directed Learning Among Doctor of Physical Therapy Students Across Didactic Curriculum: A Mixed-Methods Analysis

Emily N Getz; Leigh Langerwerf; Jodi L Young; Rebecca Bliss

doi:10.1097/JTE.0000000000000382

Changes in Self-Directed Learning Among Doctor of Physical Therapy Students Across Didactic Curriculum: A Mixed-Methods Analysis

J Phys Ther Educ. 2025 Jan 7. doi: 10.1097/JTE.0000000000000382. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Emily N Getz^{1

2

3

4}, Leigh Langerwerf^{1

2

3

4}, Jodi L Young^{1

2

3

4}, Rebecca Bliss^{1

2

3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Emily N. Getz is the director of outpatient therapy services and doctor of science in physical therapy program at the Bellin College, 3201 Easton Rd, Green Bay, WI (emily.getz@bellincollege.edu). Please address all correspondence to Emily N. Getz.
² Leigh Langerwerf is the president, Butte Premier physical therapy and doctor of science in physical therapy program at the Bellin College.
³ Jodi L. Young is the director of research and doctor of science in physical therapy program at the Bellin College.
⁴ Rebecca Bliss is the associate teaching professor in the doctor of science in physical therapy program at the Bellin College and the doctor of physical therapy program at the University of Missouri.

PMID: 39763033
DOI: 10.1097/JTE.0000000000000382

Abstract

Introduction: Physical therapy education best practice includes the development of adaptive lifelong learners because of a constantly changing health care landscape. The purpose of this study was to identify how self-directed learning (SDL) changes in traditional Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students over the course of the didactic curriculum.

Review of literature: The Master Adaptive Learning (MAL) framework has been proposed as a framework that physical therapy educators adopt to create and educate physical therapists who embrace continuous change and build a culture of creativity and innovation.

Subjects: Fifty students from a midwestern DPT program participated in the quantitative portion, and 14 participated in the qualitative portion of the study.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used to assess students' SDL using the Motivated Strategies of Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and the Short Grit scale across the 3-year curriculum. Focus group interviews were conducted following quantitative data collection to develop themes and determine relationships of these themes with existing learning paradigms.

Results: There was a statistically significant decrease in students' MSLQ scores from the students' first semester to third and sixth semesters. In the sixth and eighth semester, scores stabilized or had limited improvement. Grit scores remained consistent. Themes that emerged from focus group interviews included deep learning, habits of the heart, and vulnerability. Multiple subthemes were also found that overlap with the MAL framework.

Discussion and conclusion: This study provides preliminary data to understand DPT students' SDL journey in a traditional DPT program and highlights the need for continued research and efforts toward improving SDL strategies in DPT students. Providing students with necessary resources and support to transition to more self-directed behaviors aligns with the recent call to action to infuse the MAL framework into the PT educational continuum.