The impact of pandemic-driven changes to anatomical instruction on student learning outcomes for three doctoral physical therapy cohorts
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted universities' ability to run traditional anatomy courses involving cadaveric dissection. This mixed-methods study measured the impact of pandemic-driven curricular changes on the anatomical preparedness of Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) and clinical practice. To assess this, cumulative anatomy lecture final examinations were analyzed for three longitudinal cohorts: Classes of 2022, 2023, and 2024, who completed the anatomy course in 2019, 2020, and 2021 respectively. Additionally, survey data evaluated participants’ self-perceived satisfaction and competency regarding their preparation for the NPTE and clinical readiness. This study uniquely reviewed these instructional impacts through the educational psychology frameworks of cognitive load, experiential learning, and constructivism. Quantitatively, while a statistically significant dip occurred in overall exam scores between the 2023 and 2024 cohorts, statistical power was limited to definitively attribute this to pandemic-driven changes (n = 126). Furthermore, survey results indicated no statistically significant differences across cohorts regarding perceived preparedness for the NPTE or clinical practice. However, survey response rates were poor (n = 24), so this result remains inconclusive. Qualitative reflexive thematic analysis identified and revealed that while the disruption of tactile, cadaveric immersion was felt deeply, targeted cognitive scaffolding may have served as a bridging mechanism. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that while experiential learning remains foundational, strategic pedagogical frameworks could possibly mitigate the impacts of disruptions to physical learning environments, such as cadaveric dissection.
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