Purpose: The aim of this research is to examine the opinions of undergraduate students in the field of speech and language therapy regarding continuous education courses in the professional domain.
Method: The research sample consists of third and fourth-year students enrolled in the speech and language therapy undergraduate program at İstinye University Faculty of Health Sciences. The survey used in this study was created online via Google Forms. The survey consisted of two sections. The first section included multiple-choice questions about participants' gender, age, education level, previous participation in continuous education, and the method of obtaining education. The second section comprised 12 questions using a 5-point Likert scale, exploring opinions on the necessity of continuous education courses, their contribution to professional development, accessibility challenges, perceived effectiveness, adequacy of courses in Turkey, and their efficacy in evaluating cases and therapy. Descriptive analysis was conducted on the responses provided by the participants.
Results: The majority of participants had attended continuous education courses, primarily online, and selected courses relevant to their intended areas of work. Participants expressed that continuous education courses were necessary and contributed to their professional development, although they were undecided about the adequacy of online courses. Additionally, participants perceived that continuous education courses were predominantly available in a single city. However, they found course fees high and tended to prefer lower-priced options. Finally, participants indicated that they did not find the education received during their undergraduate program to be sufficient.
Conclusion: The research concludes that undergraduate students in the field of speech and language therapy believe that education received during the undergraduate period alone is not sufficient for professional competence. It is observed that continuous education courses are necessary for the field of speech and language therapy and will contribute to professional development. The examination of participants' ability to observe or practice with specific case groups has not been investigated in this study, which is a limitation, and it is recommended to be considered in future studies. Furthermore, it is suggested to increase and diversify the number of continuous education courses and facilitate access to these courses. Additionally, the sample of the study only covers İstinye University, and it is recommended that a similar study be repeated within other universities. This is because factors such as the academic staff and expertise of the faculty, student demand, and the mission and vision of the university may lead to universities specializing more in certain disciplines and excelling in these areas, which could affect the study results.
Keywords
speech and language therapy, lifelong learning, continuous education
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