Abstract

Self-efficacy is known to influence learning and is associated with greater clinical practice confidence in in healthcare students. There are also known differences in physical therapy student clinical reasoning self-efficacy and clinical reasoning skills based on the program year. This study explores how caseload management self-efficacy compares between physical therapy students based on competed time in a graduate program. This study evaluated self-reported clinical management self-efficacy of sixty-seven graduate physical therapy students. Results showed significantly higher total questionnaire scores and higher per question scores for first-year students compared to second-year students. The findings of this study highlight that second-year students reported lower self-efficacy in managing an unknown patient population caseload compared to first-year students, despite first-year students having less clinical education and academic experience and coursework. This trend supports a potential overestimation of self-efficacy in first-year students and greater awareness of clinical management expectations from second-year students. The implications of this research contribute to a broader understanding of differences across program years related to caseload management self-efficacy and may help direct optimal timing of learner support for academic and clinical success. In addition, a greater understanding of improving self-efficacy in physical therapy students related to clinical caseload management is needed.

Keywords: Self Efficacy; Health science education; Physical therapy education

Abbreviations: PT: Physical Therapy; PSE: Physiotherapist Self-Efficacy