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Abstract

Interprofessional collaboration is necessary for school-based professionals who provide services for students with disabilities. Most pre-service training, however, takes place in separate programs and does not afford students opportunities to learn effective collaborative techniques. This study examined the effects of a one-day interprofessional learning experience for pre-service school-based professionals. The goals were twofold: 1) increase students’ understanding of the core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice (Interprofessional Education Collaborative, 2016) and 2) provide an opportunity for students to participate in interprofessional collaboration within a simulated school-based context. A mixed method design examined changes in students’ knowledge of the IPEC competencies. Students completed a modified version of the Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCT) and reflections of learning. Participants demonstrated significant increases in value of team, team efficiency, and shared leadership. Qualitative analysis of students’ responses to open-ended survey questions about the day revealed three major themes and two minor themes, which indicated increased understanding of three of the IPEC competencies (i.e., roles/responsibilities, interprofessional communication, and teams and teamwork). The findings suggest that pre-service training programs could use case-based learning to assist students in developing interprofessional collaboration skills.

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