Exploration of Student Experiences and Perceptions of Self and Peer: Implications for Tailoring Supports.

Abstract

Introduction: Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students have reported learning new behaviors, enhanced self-awareness, and personal and professional growth during their first year of DPT school. The purpose of this study was to explore in greater depth, through semistructured interviews, the student perceptions of self-identity and social identity.

Subjects: Seventeen early second-year DPT students from 3 universities.

Methods: This investigation is an extension of a larger multisite study. Qualitative interviews were employed to enable the use of a constructivist lens to explore the importance of personal context in participants' experiences during the first year of DPT school.

Results: Students across programs shared similar characteristics and experiences. Three themes emerged: DPT students share common perceptions of themselves and classmates; sociocultural experiences shaped their actions and perceptions of self; and students recognized the need to change to be successful. The voices of the older second-career students and racially minoritized students were uniquely different from other participants.

Discussion and conclusion: Doctor of Physical Therapy student experiences are similar across programs except for older students and racially minoritized students. Early professional identity formation was noted as well. A richer understanding of the personal characteristics, influential sociocultural factors, and student perceptions of self and classmates could enable educators to customize supports and educational strategies to help students understand the role their past and present experiences play in shaping their professional identities.