Factors Affecting Self-efficacy of Physical Therapy Students before and after Clinical Training

Abstract

[Purpose] To investigate changes in self-efficacy of physical therapy students before and after clinical training, and to examine the factors related to these changes. [Participants and Methods] A questionnaire survey was conducted of 142 fourth-year students at a physical therapist training school before and after the first and second terms of training. The questionnaire items mainly focused on the trait self-efficacy scale and questions about practice. [Results] Self-efficacy was significantly improved after the second term of training compared to before the training. The group with unchanged or improved self-efficacy had significantly higher scores for the items of number of assignments, goal attainment, task attainment, understanding of cases, positive behaviors of supervisors, and sense of accomplishment in the questions about practice after the second term compared to the group with decreased scores. [Conclusion] The results suggest accumulated clinical training and the content of the final training had an effect on the change in self-efficacy.