Physical therapy students’ perceptions of the educational environment at physical therapy institutes in Pakistan

Abstract

This study assessed doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students’ perceptions of the educational environment at public and private physical therapy institutes in Pakistan. This cross-sectional study was conducted at 6 physical therapy institutions in Punjab, Pakistan from April 2018 to December 2019. In total, 500 Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaires were distributed among DPT students identified through convenience sampling (response rate, 86.4%). The correlations between each item of the DREEM score were analyzed. The mean overall DREEM score was 128±19.63 for all 5 subscales (range, 33 to 166; standard error of the mean, 0.954). The correlations of atmosphere, learning, and self-perception with the overall educational environment were r=0.896, r=0.853, and r=0.846, respectively. Student-centered approaches were found to be more effective than teacher-centered approaches for promoting a positive educational environment.