Learner-centered methods in Physiotherapy. Student's capabilities and learning environment

In this work we wanted to assess the effects of the use of learning-centered methods on various capabilities/abilities of some students and on their perception of the learning environment developed by their professors. The sample consisted of 231 third-year students from the University of Valencia. They belonged to three groups and they were studying the subject of Physiotherapy Cardiocirculatory in the degree of Physiotherapy. In order to verify the objective and the hypotheses set out in the research we used a quasi-experimental sequential cohort design with non-equivalent control group, by using a posttest in the control group and also a pretest and a posttest in the experimental group. The data for these measurements were obtained using the questionnaire SEQ (Student Engagement Questionnaire); moreover, the students assessed the methods used by their teachers by means of a quantitative questionnaire. Both professors used an innovative/centered learning methodology in the experimental group. Significant improvements were found in the skills of the students and in their assessment of teachers' skills to develop a good learning environment both between pretest and posttest in the experimental group and between the posttest of the control group and the post-test of the experimental group. The positive influence of learning-centered methods regarding to the objectives of this research was confirmed, given the aforementioned improvements which took place in the three groups. This work is relevant due to the positive results obtained by means of a more integrative methodological approach than in other studies we had analyzed.