TY - JOUR
T1 - Student diversity and implications for clinical competency development amongst domestic and international speech-language pathology students
AU - Attrill, Stacie
AU - Lincoln, Michelle
AU - McAllister, Sue
PY - 2012/6/1
Y1 - 2012/6/1
N2 - International students graduating from speech-language pathology university courses must achieve the same minimum competency standards as domestic students. This study aimed to collect descriptive information about the number, origin, and placement performance of international students as well as perceptions of the performance of international students on placement. University Clinical Education Coordinators (CECs), who manage clinical placements in eight undergraduate and six graduate entry programs across the 10 participating universities in Australia and New Zealand completed a survey about 3455 international and domestic speech-language pathology students. Survey responses were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively with non-parametric statistics and thematic analysis. Results indicated that international students came from a variety of countries, but with a regional focus on the countries of Central and Southern Asia. Although domestic students were noted to experience significantly less placement failure, fewer supplementary placements, and reduced additional placement support than international students, the effect size of these relationships was consistently small and therefore weak. CECs rated international students as more frequently experiencing difficulties with communication competencies on placement. However, CECs qualitative comments revealed that culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students may experience more difficulties with speech-language pathology competency development than international students. Students' CALD status should be included in future investigations of factors influencing speech-language pathology competency development.
AB - International students graduating from speech-language pathology university courses must achieve the same minimum competency standards as domestic students. This study aimed to collect descriptive information about the number, origin, and placement performance of international students as well as perceptions of the performance of international students on placement. University Clinical Education Coordinators (CECs), who manage clinical placements in eight undergraduate and six graduate entry programs across the 10 participating universities in Australia and New Zealand completed a survey about 3455 international and domestic speech-language pathology students. Survey responses were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively with non-parametric statistics and thematic analysis. Results indicated that international students came from a variety of countries, but with a regional focus on the countries of Central and Southern Asia. Although domestic students were noted to experience significantly less placement failure, fewer supplementary placements, and reduced additional placement support than international students, the effect size of these relationships was consistently small and therefore weak. CECs rated international students as more frequently experiencing difficulties with communication competencies on placement. However, CECs qualitative comments revealed that culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students may experience more difficulties with speech-language pathology competency development than international students. Students' CALD status should be included in future investigations of factors influencing speech-language pathology competency development.
KW - CALD
KW - Clinical education
KW - competency
KW - international students
KW - speech-language pathology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84860782814&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3109/17549507.2011.652172
DO - 10.3109/17549507.2011.652172
M3 - Article
C2 - 22372388
AN - SCOPUS:84860782814
SN - 1754-9515
VL - 14
SP - 260
EP - 270
JO - International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
JF - International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
IS - 3
ER -