The influence of an undergraduate curriculum on development of students’ academic belief systems

In a world of innovation and change, healthcare graduates are expected to be capable of independent decision making, take responsibility, assume leadership and demonstrate confidence and commitment to lifelong learning in their respective professions. The academic belief systems (ABS) of 52 BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy students were measured during the course of their 3 years of undergraduate education. The patterns of ABS profile change in relation to the curriculum the students were experiencing revealed that these undergraduates’ ABS are susceptible to change over time with contact time (the academic terms) having a negative impact on all ABS variables associated with positive aspects of learning and personal development. Non-contact time (vacations) saw a ‘recovery’ in most variable mean scores. All ABS variable mean scores were lower on graduation than on admission. How the study results informed curriculum review is described and the specific changes implemented to help facilitate students’ perspectives as lifelong learners outlined.