An assessment of high-school students' knowledge of physical therapy and the factors that influence their knowledge

Journal, Physical Therapy Education, Spring 1999 by Kallus, Kerri, Noble, Dana, Bezner, Janet, Keely, Ginny

ABSTRACT: A survey was administered to 575 students in six different public high schools in Texas to determine the students ' knowledge of physical therapy and the factors that influenced their knowledge. A majority of the students surveyed knew of or had heard about physical therapy. The task that most students (91%) identified physical therapy with was "instructs a patient in exercises." Two other tasks commonly recognized as those performed by physical therapists were "works with joints to decrease pain and stiffness" (88%) and "evaluates a patients need for treatment" (85%). The task with which the students were least familiar, with only 37% answering correctly, was `provides wound care." Sources that the students reported using the most to learn about physical therapy were television (66%); teacher, counselor, or coach (51%); and movies (44%). Significant differences were found within the demographic variables of school (urban versus rural), gender, grade, and prospective career in students ' identification of the individual tasks of physical therapy and the sources from which they had obtained their knowledge of physical therapy. Because the majority (>85%) of the students in the urban schools surveyed were representatives of minority groups, the results yield important implications for the recruitment of minority students into the profession. Career development is an important part of the high-school years. Researchers have shown that it is during this time when students begin to consider career choices. To ensure successful choices, students need accurate knowledge and information about their options. The results from this study may assist universities interested

in recruiting physical therapy students and the profession with the development of strategies to provide high-school students with sufficient and accurate information about physical therapy.

INTRODUCTION

Career development is a process that a person addresses throughout life. A person chooses not only a career but also a lifestyle, and in doing so makes an important life decision. According to Freud, "laying stress upon importance of work has a greater effect than any other technique of living in the direction of binding the individual more closely to reality.1In making this statement, Freud realized the importance of a career in reflecting on ourselves, shaping who we are, providing us with colleagues and friends, and helping us find our place in this world.l

In the process of career decision making, many people experience indecision, an uncertainty about which career options to pursue. Savickas2 suggested that those people with career indecision can be divided into three subgroups. Group 1 includes people who feel no pressure to make a decision. This group has the confidence to make a rewarding choice, but lacks information about the options. Group 2 is made up of those people who harbor some immaturity and anxiety about their career. Group 3 is the undecided people who are unable to make decisions, even though they have the necessary information. Each of these groups need some guidance and intervention to help simplify the career decision-making process.2 Other researchers3-9 have suggested that influential factors on career decision making include family support, role models, childhood experiences, college advisors, and the availability of factual information.

Career development matures with age and becomes an important consideration by the time an individual enters high school.3,4, 10-13 Individuals first begin to learn about careers during this time, and most adolescents have expressed occupational preferences by the time they reach high school. They continue, however, to be unclear about skills and abilities needed for their prospective profession.to It is appropriate for professions, such as physical therapy, and universities conducting recruitment efforts to help prepare and provide individuals with information to assist in the career decision-making process.

The profession of physical therapy has been in existence for many decades and is currently experiencing unprecedented growth.14,15 Yet, even with the tremendous growth in the field, researchers16-21 have documented that the general public does not understand the different aspects of the profession. A concern has developed within the profession relating to this lack of public knowledge. This concern has given physical therapists a reason to look at the sources from which the public is receiving their information, as well as to ascertain what the public truly knows about physical therapy. One study16 revealed that two common sources of information about physical therapy are the media and family members, but often these sources do not portray accurate information. Often, the public is exposed to and is aware of the profession, but does not necessarily understand the specific details. Accurate public knowledge of physical therapy is essential to enable individuals to make appropriate career decisions, to create informed consumers who can select the most appropriate health care provider as well as be advocates for reimbursement for appropriate services, and to ensure survival of the profession. Education has a primary role in the creation of a knowledgeable public.

During the high-school years, career development is characterized by greater exploration and planning, self-awareness, narrowing of options, and eventually a shift of focus from self to the reality of the world of work.10 Therefore, it is an important time to start educating the individual regarding career options. In order to find an effective way to educate at this level, it is important to determine what individuals know about physical therapy and the sources they use to obtain their knowledge. To that end, the primary purpose of this study was to determine what highschool students know about physical therapy and the factors that influence their knowledge of the profession. A secondary purpose was to replicate a study published in 198216 to determine whether changes have occurred in the past 15 years in high-school students' knowledge of the profession. In 1982, there was a significant shortage of physical therapists, which made recruitment into the profession an important issue. Given that the 1997 Vector study22 questioned the existence of a shortage of physical therapy professionals, it is important to ensure that accurate information is available to those individuals selecting careers, as well as to consumers selecting health care providers.