Purpose: This study examined a method using motor learning theory for teaching stretching techniques used by physical therapists. Method: Participants were 50 young adults who had no exercise guidance experience. Five practice methods were designed to study effective teaching methods: a practice method to observe the model, a practice method to guide the learner's body, a practice method to alternate between observing or guiding and actually practicing, and a practice method to practice only the actual practice. After designing a pretest, the practice period was used. Four parameters were used as stretching technique elements: average angle change, upper arm fixation (spatial element), time required (temporal element), and maximum external rotation torque (force adjusting element). Results: Learning effects of the temporal element were observed using the method of alternately practicing observation or guidance and actual practice. Learning effects of the force adjusting element were observed using the method of guiding the body. Conclusion: Findings suggest that effective teaching methods differ depending on the technical elements to be learned.

Introduction: To provide high -quality medical and welfare services, it is essential to practice cooperation between related occupations, and education in cooperation with related occupations is becoming common in vocational schools. However, interprofessional education (IPE) has many environmental and management issues, such as different departments in each school, varied training methods for different occupations, and difficulty in making various adjustments. Methods: We introduced virtual reality (VR) technology as teaching materials for IPE. We investigated the impressions of students and faculty members who used VR teaching materials, and analyzed the results via text mining. Results: Respondents want VR material that allows them to experience a simulated clinical experience. For IPE, there was a requirement for teaching materials that could help in understanding the flow of collaboration and related occupations. Discussion: Owing to its high sense of presence and reproducibility, VR can revolutionize existing educational strategies. In the future, further enrichment of VR teaching materials and verification of educational effects are necessary.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effects of clinical educators’ teaching experience on clinical clerkship in the education of physiotherapy and occupational therapy students. Methods: The participants were physiotherapy and occupational therapy students who had clinical training at four Fujita Health University Hospitals. They were divided into two groups, one (N=48) that was taught by clinical educators who had no teaching experience (CE-inexperienced group), and the other (N=49) that was taught by a clinical educator who had teaching experience (CE-experienced group). Stress status, basic skills as an apprentice, and sleep status of the two groups were compared. Results: The CE-experienced group had less stress due to interpersonal relationships and appropriateness, fewer frustrating responses, and higher satisfaction with the clinical training than the CE-inexperienced group. In contrast, regarding the sleep status, the proportion of students with “no insomnia” decreased, and the proportion of students with “mild insomnia” increased in the CE-experienced group as compared to the CE-inexperienced group. Consideration: In the clinical training provided by the experienced clinical educator, there was a reduction in the students’ stress, and their basic skills as apprentices improved. However, regarding sleep status, a certain number of students with sleep disorders remained. Therefore, this study suggests that the provision of psychological support and guidance that attend to the learning situation at home and sleep time is required.

The objective of this paper is to describe the Knowledge-to-Action (KTA) framework, which is one of the conceptual frameworks of Knowledge Translation (KT), and to report on a series of KT studies that we conducted for community-based physical therapists using this framework. First, we summarized that the KTA framework consists of Knowledge Creation and Action Cycle, and described each phase. Second, for the KT studies based on the KTA framework, by identifying the research-practice gap and intervening in the barriers to using the outcome measures, the use of outcome measures increased, and we identified potential problems that could arise in the future. Finally, by using KT and the KTA framework, we concluded that knowledge based on research findings was effectively implemented in practice.