Shepard K F, Jensen G M
College of Allied Health Professions, Department of Physical Therapy, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140.
Phys Ther. 1990 Sep;70(9):566-73; discussion 573-7. doi: 10.1093/ptj/70.9.566.
This article discusses why many current physical therapy entry-level programs may not be designed to educate the type of physical therapy practitioner needed for the 1990s. We suggest a framework for analyzing curriculum content to determine how the curriculum is influencing student outcomes. This framework includes three reference points of analysis, as suggested by Eisner's model of implicit, explicit, and null curricula. We also describe a new kind of physical therapy practitioner, the "reflective practitioner" (Schon's model), and suggest how various curricular components can support the development of this type of practitioner.
