This study primarily aims to evaluate the impact of a 12-week peer role-play simulation model on the professional development of undergraduate physiotherapy students. Unlike traditional teacher-led case discussions, this study explores the effect of active participation in clinical scenarios, in which students alternate between the roles of 'clinician' and 'patient', on their academic achievement, self-efficacy and perceived clinical readiness. Specifically, the study aims to determine whether this interactive, low-cost pedagogical approach is a superior alternative to conventional lecture-based methods for preparing students for real-world clinical environments, particularly in high-enrolment academic settings.
Current enrollment as a senior (4th-year) undergraduate student in the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation at Istanbul Medipol University.
Active participation in the "Clinical Problem Solving" course.
Voluntary agreement to participate and signing of the informed consent form.
Students who have previously taken the "Clinical Problem Solving" course or a similar simulation-based elective.
Failure to attend more than 20% of the 12-week course sessions.
Parallel
Peer Role-Play Simulation (PRPS)
BehavioralA 12-week educational intervention where students rotate through roles of therapist, patient, and observer in simulated neurological clinical scenarios, followed by structured debriefing sessions.
Traditional Case-Based Learning (CBL)
BehavioralA 12-week pedagogical approach involving independent case analysis of written scenarios, classroom presentations, and video-assisted demonstrations of physiotherapy skills.
Physiotherapist Self-Efficacy (PSE) Scale Score
Evaluation of students' perceived competence in clinical problem-solving, planning, and communication across three domains: neurological, musculoskeletal, and cardiopulmonary. The scale consists of 13 items scored on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = "very little confidence" to 5 = "very much confidence"). Higher scores indicate higher self-efficacy.
Perception of Clinical Readiness and Simulation Experience
Measured using a 10-item self-report questionnaire focusing on communication, clinical reasoning, and preparedness for practice. Items are scored on a 0-10 Visual Analog Scale (VAS) (0 = "strongly disagree" to 10 = "strongly agree").
Case-Based Written Examination:
A standardized written examination will be administered at the end of the semester to assess students' ability to apply theoretical knowledge (knowledge application) and their clinical reasoning skills. The examination will be based on a novel clinical case scenario that has not been previously discussed in class. Students will be required to demonstrate their ability to assess the patient, select appropriate measurement methods, interpret clinical findings, and plan evidence-based physiotherapy interventions in written form.
Practical Examination / OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination)
Clinical Performance (End of Clinical Placement)
To evaluate the extent to which students transfer their acquired knowledge and skills to real clinical settings (transfer to practice), the Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice (APP) will be used in accordance with approaches recommended in the literature (Ryall et al., 2022; Jones \& Sheppard, 2011). Students' overall clinical performance-including communication, professionalism, patient assessment, and treatment planning-will be evaluated using the APP by independent clinical supervisors responsible for the students at the end of their 4-6 week clinical placements.
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Istanbul Medipol University Hospital
Lead sponsor
Medipol University
Sponsor institution
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