| Concept mapping, an approach in which students create a graphic representation of concepts and relationships, may be an effective and underutilized learning strategy for facilitating development of clinical reasoning skills. While many investigators have studied concept mapping, questions remain about its effectiveness. Furthermore, there is little reference to the approach in the physical therapy education literature. This study examined the performance of physical therapist assistant students on a test of clinical reasoning before and after an educational intervention. A convenience sample of students ( N = 30) was randomly assigned to one of two groups (concept mapping with discussion, or discussion alone) for a series of case-based learning sessions. A two-group pretest-posttest design was used. Both groups demonstrated significant improvement in scores on the test of clinical reasoning from pre to posttest. There was no significant difference between mean posttest scores of the group that used concept mapping with discussion and the group that used discussion alone. Variables of level in the academic program and the field independence/dependence dimension of cognitive style were examined in relation to their possible mediating influence, with no significant effect found. |
