A FOCUS GROUP INVESTIGATION OF THE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN A 1:1 AND A 2:1 CLINICAL MODEL OF EDUCATION

Background: Clinical education is fundamental to physiotherapy curricula according to the World Confederation of Physical Therapists (WCPT 2004). However, the manner in which clinical education is delivered varies. Historically, the 1:1 (1 educator-1 student) model has been predominantly used, but recently the 2:1 (2 students-1 educator) has prevailed. A paucity of evidence exists examining the learning opportunities available within each model (Ladyshewsky et al 1998). Objectives: The aim was to examine the learning opportunities available in a 1:1 and a 2:1 clinical model of education, in a cohort of physiotherapy students. Methods: Two focus groups were conducted involving eleven participants with experience of both a 1:1 and a 2:1 model of practice education. Group A comprised Year 4 physiotherapy students and Group B was composed of Year 3 students. These groups were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and subject to thematic analysis. Results: The factors that emerged that influenced learning opportunities were directly linked to the individual providers of learning opportunities in the practice setting. Regarding the 1:1 model, the student themselves and the multidisciplinary team influenced the learning opportunities whereas in the 2:1 model, students felt that the peer was an important influence. The Practice Educator and Tutor, patients and peer support were deemed vital for learning opportunities in both models. Conclusion: Findings may be useful for providers of clinical education and the future provision of learning opportunities for students. The research regarding models of education is scarce and methodologically flawed. Future research is merited in this area.