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Objective: The demographic homogeneity of the physical therapist workforce and its educational pathway may undermine the profession's potential to improve the health of society. Building academic environments that support the development of all learners is fundamental to building a workforce to meet societal health care needs. The Benchmarking in Physical Therapy Education study uses the Physical Therapy Graduation Questionnaire to comprehensively assess learner perceptions of the physical therapist academic environment. The present report examined whether racial and ethnic minoritized (REM) physical therapist learners perceive their doctor of physical therapy education differently from their non-REM peers., Methods: Five thousand and eighty graduating doctor of physical therapy learners in 89 institutions provided demographic data and perceptions of a range of learning environment domains. Analyses included REM versus non-REM comparisons as well as comparisons among individual race and ethnicity groups., Results: Compared with their non-minoritized peers, REM respondents expressed less satisfaction with their education and lower confidence in their preparedness for entry-level practice. REM respondents observed more faculty professionalism disconnects and demonstrated less agreement that their program had fostered their overall psychological well-being. REM respondents experienced higher rates of mistreatment than their peers and reported higher rates of exhaustion and disengagement, the 2 axes of academic burnout. Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a/x (Hispanic, Latino, Latina, and/or Latinx) respondents incurred significantly more educational debt than Asian and White respondents. REM respondents reported greater empathy and greater interest in working in underserved communities., Conclusion: REM respondents perceived the physical therapist learning environment more negatively than their non-minoritized peers but expressed strong interest in serving people from underserved communities. These national benchmarks offer academic institutions the opportunity to self-assess their own environment and to work to improve the quality of the educational experience for all learners., Impact: In a nationwide benchmarking study, learners from minoritized race and ethnicity backgrounds reported more negative experiences and outcomes during physical therapist education than their non-minoritized peers. These same learners demonstrated high empathy and interest in serving people from underserved (under-resourced) communities. Learning environments that permit all individuals to thrive may be an essential avenue to improve the health of a rapidly diversifying society., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Physical Therapy Association. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The Science Made Sensible (SMS) programme began as a partnership between the University of Miami (UM), Florida, USA, and some public schools in Miami. In this programme, postgraduate students from UM work with primary school science teachers to engage learners in science through the use of inquiry-based, hands-on activities. Due to the success of the SMS programme in Miami, it was extended internationally. The SMS team (two Miami Grade 6/7 science teachers and two UM postgraduate students), 195 learners, and five South African teachers at two primary schools in Pretoria, South Africa, participated in this study. A quantitative research design was employed, and learners, teachers and UM postgraduate students used questionnaires to evaluate the SMS programme. The results show that the SMS team was successful in reaching the SMS goals in these South African schools. More than 90% of the learners are of opinion that the SMS team from the USA made them more interested in the natural sciences and fostered an appreciation for the natural sciences. All the South African teachers plan to adopt and adapt some of the pedagogical strategies they learned from the SMS team. This article includes a discussion about the benefits of inquiry-based learning and the similarities and dissimilarities of USA and South Africa’s teaching methods in the science classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research synthesis analyzed qualitative depictions of adult literacy learners and identified five ways in which they are typically characterized: the Heroic Victim, the Needy (Problem) Child, the Broken (but Repairable) Cog, the Pawn of Destiny, and the Capable Comrade. These types do not capture the diversity or complexity of all adult literacy learners, and we do not argue that they are comprehensive. Rather they are representative of the ways in which adult literacy learners are portrayed in the research literature. We argue that each type, like characters in a narrative, drive the "action" in research, policy, and practice arena. The ways in which they populate research may have very real consequences for how adult literacy learning opportunities are provided and the outcomes that can be expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the dynamics of the Millennial and Post-Millennial Generations, born after 1982, along with the pedagogical changes commanded by those dynamics. It describes various learning modalities that satisfy learners' expectations and adaptations necessitated by the exponential speed of technological changes impacting learners' attitudes. Relying on extensive research of earlier studies that describe changing attitudes, values, and characteristics of the Millennial Generation, this study matches those elements with pedagogical considerations. Research on use of various learning modalities, student satisfaction and learning outcomes are referenced to ascertain the most successful approaches that facilitate learning. The Millennial Generation, defined as those born between 1982 and 2002, has never known a world where information was not readily available at the click of a mouse. While the Millennial learners operate on short attention spans, demand immediate gratification, and process information in short spurts, they are also keen on multi-tasking and likely to dive into a project with fairly successful outcomes rather than spend time reading instructions. Traditional lecture formats cannot hold their attention and instructors must integrate more interactive exercises in order to achieve satisfactory learning outcomes. This paper matches innovative uses of technology, collaborative assignments and experiential exercises with important learning outcomes expected of post-secondary education that include critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills. Models demonstrated include use of contemporary news media in group and individual research assignments, with deliverables using latest technology tools, as well as game playing that serves to reinforce learned principles. Measures for outcomes assessment embedded in assignments are included in the various learning modalities described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the perspective debates upon the real-time challenges for a three-staged Performance Improvement Continuing Medical Education (PI-CME) model, an innovative and potential approach for future CME, to inform providers to think, prepare and to act proactively., Design/methodology/approach: In this discussion, the challenges associated for adopting the American Medical Association's three-staged PI-CME model are reported., Findings: Not many institutions in USA are using a three-staged performance improvement model and then customizing it to their own healthcare context for the specific targeted audience. They integrate traditional CME methods with performance and quality initiatives, and linking with CME credits., Practical Implications: Overall the US health system is interested in a structured PI-CME model with the potential to improve physicians practicing behaviors., Originality/value: Knowing the dearth of evidence for applying this structured performance improvement methodology into the design of CME activities, and the lack of clarity on challenges inherent to the process that learners and providers encounter. This paper establishes all-important first step to render the set of challenges for a three-staged PI-CME model.