Faculty lived experiences integrating technology-assisted educational practices into an entry level physical therapy curriculum: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

Across the nation, innovative technologies have changed instructional processes throughout higher education. In physical therapy (PT) programs, faculty must work to integrate technology into a complex academic curriculum that prepares students to be hands-on healthcare practitioners. The purpose of this study was to uncover how physical therapy faculty make sense of their lived experiences integrating innovative technology-assisted educational practices (ITAEP) into their curriculums. This researcher used an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach to explore their experiences, and gather data through individualized, semi-structured interviews. Data analysis yielded three superordinate themes: awareness of barriers, appreciation for educational contributions, and respect for program integrity. Findings revealed that faculty experienced internal and external barriers that affected technology integration efforts. Additionally, they were encouraged by the ability of technology to reach diverse learners and promote metacognition, and were enthusiastic about the pedagogical advantages of student input. Further, in-person instruction and intentional, judicious technology integration was experienced as crucial to program integrity. Findings are relevant to administrators and PT faculty as they work to advance quality pedagogy. They are also of value to technical support specialists as they work to provide technology based training and guidance. Additional research is needed to further explore faculty experiences with specific innovations, investigate the ways in which technology contributes to pedagogy within the PT curriculum, and obtain feedback about the role of technology in a traditional face-to-face health professions program.