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Impact of Service Learning on Physical Therapist Students' Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Older Adults and on Their Critical Thinking Ability

Background and Purpose. The increased use of health care services by older adults has prompted an interest in preparing physical therapists to better deal with the special needs of this population. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of service learning on physical therapist students' knowledge of and attitudes about the older adult and on their critical thinking ability. Subjects. A cohort of 40 students in a Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) degree program was divided into either an experimental (service‐learning) group or a control (no service learning) group in the last semester of a 3‐year curriculum while enrolled in a geriatric rehabilitation course. Methods. General knowledge and attitudes about aging were measured by Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz I (FAQ). Critical thinking skills were measured by the Watson‐Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA). Both tests are reported to be valid and reliable and have been used in many studies for at least 25 years. The FAQ and the WGCTA were administered to students at the first and last class meetings. Results. Two‐way analyses of variance for repeated measures revealed that all students, regardless of pedagogical method, increased their knowledge about aging (P ≤ .05). However, students who initially had negative attitudes toward older adults significantly improved their attitudes only after the service‐learning experience (P ≤ .05). The investigation failed to support the hypothesis that service learning with older adults would make a difference in students' critical thinking ability. Discussion and Conclusion. The results suggest that service learning effectively enhances both physical therapist students' knowledge of and attitudes toward the older adult.