Physiotherapy clinical education in the eastern Nigeria: students’ and interns’ views on clinical educator characteristics, opportunities and learning conditions

Purpose: This study identified physiotherapy students' and interns’ views on clinical educator characteristics, teaching/learning opportunities and conditions essential to facilitate clinical education experiences in eastern Nigeria. Methods: The roles and attributes of a clinical educator, teaching/learning opportunities and conditions to facilitate learning were assessed utilising a self-administered questionnaire. Respondents’ perceived learning values for selected teaching/learning opportunities were further explored. Data were analysed utilising descriptive statistics of frequencies and percentages. Results: The response rate was 85.3%. The roles and attributes of a clinical educator most rated for effective learning include mentorship, knowledge provider, facilitator of learning, good communication and respect for students. Activities perceived as vital for effective clinical education include demonstration, linking theory to practice and giving guidance on patient management. The majority of the respondents preferred small group learning to one-on-one learning. Respondents further varied in their perceived learning values for the selected teaching/learning opportunities. Conclusions: Physiotherapy students and interns believe that clinical educators play key roles and expect them to display a wide range of professional attributes to facilitate students’ learning experiences. Possible deficiencies in clinical education experiences based on responses regarding the selected teaching/learning opportunities are also highlighted and warrant investigation to enhance clinical education experiences.