Physical therapy students’ perceptions of team-based learning in gross anatomy using the Team-Based Learning Student Assessment Instrument

PURPOSE The objective of this study was to assess physical therapy student perceptions of team-based learning (TBL) in a graduate level gross anatomy course using the TBL Student Assessment Instrument (TBL-SAI). METHODS The TBL-SAI was administered to 85 doctor of physical therapy (DPT) students, comprising three cohorts (classes of 2013, 2014, and 2015), who successfully completed a gross anatomy course where TBL was implemented. The TBL-SAI surveys 33 items, each rated from one (strongly disagree) to five (strongly agree) and measures three subscales: students' perceptions of accountability, preference for lecture or TBL, and student satisfaction. RESULTS The means for each subscale and the total TBL-SAI score for each cohort fell above the neutral score. The 2015 group (mean, 37.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 35.67 to 40.26) reported significantly higher satisfaction than that of the 2013 group (mean, 32.71; 95% CI, 30.31 to 35.05) and the 2014 group (mean, 33.11; 95% CI, 30.69 to 35.53). The 2015 group (mean, 125.3; 95% CI, 120.6 to 130.3) also had a significantly higher total score than that of the 2013 group (mean, 115.6; 95% CI, 110.5 to 120.5). CONCLUSION The physical therapy students reported an overall positive experience in using TBL to learn gross anatomy in terms of accountability, preference for learning mode, and satisfaction. This positive experience with TBL was accompanied by their successful academic performance. Given the traits and learning preferences in this generation of graduate students, TBL could be a teaching method that is received positively elsewhere and results in successful academic performance and learning.