Reflective Practice and Self-assessment of Novice Physical Therapists Graduate From Governmental and Private Sectors in Lahore City, Pakistan: A Comparative Cross-sectional Study

Reflective practice is a thinking method about experiences, learning from mistakes, identifying skills and strengths, and developing options and actions for change and future success. This practice empowers individuals to explore diverse methods of introspection, thereby enhancing their proficiency in applying reflective techniques within both personal and professional domains and ultimately fostering their learning skills and self-development.

This study aims to compare the reflective practice and self-assessment methods of novice practitioners who graduated from the governmental and private sectors.

A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on 138 practitioners who graduated from the governmental and private sectors (69 from the governmental sector and 69 from the private sector). A random sampling method was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 20. Mean±SD was calculated for five main variables. Independent t-test was applied to calculate the reflective practice of novice practitioners. P≤0.05 was considered statically significant.

The study focused on investigating various factors related to the reflective practice of novice practitioners. All five main variables, namely reflection on events, reflection methods, others’ points of view, questioning of assumptions, and ability to reflect, were examined for potential differences between the graduates of private and governmental sectors. The results indicated no significant differences between these sectors, as evidenced by the P<0.05.

This study concluded that no significant difference is observed between reflective practice and self-assessment methods of novice practitioners who graduated from government or private institutes because reflective practice is the ability of a person to think and learn from experience in a way.