“Learning is about being active, but the digital is not really active”: physiotherapy teachers’ attitudes toward and experiences with digital education

Abstract

Background: Digital education is expected to transform higher education teaching and learning. Despite high expectations, higher education teachers have been slow to implement active digital learning.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate physiotherapy teachers’ attitudes toward and experiences with digital education and what the teachers’ considered prerequisites to a digital transformation of teaching and learning in physiotherapy.

Methods: Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 teachers in physiotherapy education. The interviews were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.

Findings: The findings illuminate teachers’ attitudes toward and experiences with digital education and their views on prerequisites to a digital transformation of teaching and learning in physiotherapy education, presented as four themes: 1) skepticism toward digital education; 2) digital technology as a tool to support the established teaching practice; 3) longing for teacher collaboration; and 4) calling for time to plan and learn, and significant academic leadership.

Conclusion: This study shows how physiotherapy teachers are skeptical about digital education, primarily viewing it as a threat to established teaching practices. Taken together, the findings demonstrate a potential for digital transformation in physiotherapy education, which can be released by informing the current teaching practices with evidence from research showing how use of digital technology can improve teaching and learning in physiotherapy education.