Prof. Josè Frantz
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| Position: | Dean |
| Faculty: | Faculty of Community and Health Sciences |
| Qualifications: | BSc, MSc, PhD(PT) (Western Cape) |
| My publications in this repository | |
| More about me: | here, and here |
| Tel: | 021 959 2631 |
| Fax: | 021 959 2755 |
| Email: | chs-deansoffice@uwc.ac.za |
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Browsing by Author "Hess, Danelle"
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Item Self-assessment of final-year undergraduate physiotherapy students’ literature-searching behaviour, self-perceived knowledge of their own critical appraisal skills and evidence-based practice beliefs(Health and Medical Publishing Group, 2016) Hess, Danelle; Frantz, Jose M.BACKGROUND. Health professionals and new graduates alike are expected to be efficient in applying evidence-based practice. Research and evidencebased practice skills are taught in the research modules at university, but it is not clear whether students translate those skills into clinical practice. OBJECTIVE. To determine the self-assessment literature-searching behaviour, self-perceived knowledge of critical appraisal skills and evidence-based practice beliefs of final-year undergraduate physiotherapy students at a university in South Africa. METHODS. This study used a quantitative approach, with a small qualitative component. A convenience sample of the final-year undergraduate physiotherapy students (N=36) registered for the 2012 academic year was approached to participate in the study. Data were collected using an existing questionnaire. RESULTS. The study yielded a 75% response rate. With regard to literature-searching skills, 30% searched for literature more than once a week, 52% searched only for specific information and most had access to literature. Students received their information from journal articles (85%), the internet and databases. They were slightly confident when it came to literature appraisal and believed that evidence-based practice was essential to their practice (96%), but expressed a need for more training (59%). Their understanding of the evidence-based practice concept was limited because they based their treatment choices on content and other role-models, and related their choices to their previous patient experiences. CONCLUSION. Students believed that evidence-based practice was vital, yet their understanding of the concept was restricted when compared with the literature and they expressed a need for further training.Item Student and staff perceptions and experiences of the introduction of Objective Structured Practical Examinations: a pilot study(Health and Medical Publishing Group, 2013) Frantz, Jose M.; Rowe, Michael; Hess, Danelle; Rhoda, Anthea; Sauls, Hess; Wegner, LiezelBackground. The Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) is widely recognised as one of the more objective methods of assessing practical skills in healthcare programmes, including undergraduate physiotherapy curricula. Objectives. To obtain feedback from both students and staff who were involved in the introduction of an OSPE in 2011, in order to refine and standardise the format throughout the curriculum. Methods. A qualitative research design was used. Data were gathered through a questionnaire with semi-structured open-ended items and focus group discussion. Participants were all third-year undergraduate physiotherapy students (N=47) and all staff members (N=10) in the 2011 academic year who were exposed to the OSPE format or were involved in the first OSPE. Results. The main concerns raised by both students and staff were: (i) pressure due to time constraints and how this might affect student performance; and (ii) the question of objectivity during the assessment. However, their initial concerns changed as they experienced the OSPE in a more positive manner owing to the structure and objectivity of the process of implementing the OSPE. Conclusion. While both students and staff reported positive experiences, the challenges that emerged provided valuable insight in terms of refining the OSPE format in this undergraduate physiotherapy department.Item Understanding the learning styles of undergraduate physiotherapy students(2014) Hess, Danelle; Frantz, Jose M.Background: Undergraduate students at universities have different learning styles. To perform optimally, both they and their educators should be made aware of their preferred learning styles and problem-solving abilities. Students have different backgrounds, strengths, weaknesses, interests, ambitions, levels of motivation and approaches to studying and educators should therefore aim to become more aware of the diverse approaches to learning. Objective: To identify the various learning styles and problem-solving abilities of physiotherapy students at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Methods: Undergraduate physiotherapy students (N=246) who were registered for the 2012 academic year participated in the study. Three valid and reliable questionnaires, including the Index of Learning Styles (ILS), the Problem-Solving Style Questionnaire (PSSQ) and the Learning Style Questionnaire (LSQ), were used. Responses were analysed statistically to establish the association between learning styles and problem-solving ability. Results: A response rate of 72% was reported (n=177). For first-, second-, third- and fourth-year students the response rates were 65/85 (76%), 53/67 (79%), 31/58 (53%) and 28/36 (78%), respectively. Forty-five (25%) participants were male, 124 (70%) were female and 8 (0.04%) did not indicate their gender. The prominent learning styles were feeling (PSSQ), kinaesthetic (LSQ) and visual-verbal (ILS). Males were prone to using the kinaesthetic learning style and females to a more visual learning style. The feeling group constituted 47% of the sample (39% males and 43% females). Conclusion. The majority of students seem to learn by doing, although facts are important to them. It therefore might be important to first teach physiotherapy students concepts and then assist them to apply these in practice.