Keiko Kanetaka, MS, Yoshimi Suzukamo, PhD, Toshiyuki Kakui, OTR, MS, Akira Michimata, OTR, PhD, Shin-ichi Izumi, MD, PhD
Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 4: 47-54, 2013
Purpose: Communication skills are necessary when
students of therapist training schools undergo clinical
practice. We verified the effects of introducing a
course on communication skills training based on
coaching theory.
Methods: Second-year students of a vocational
college participated in the study. Fourteen students in
the occupational therapy department attended a course
on communication skills training (CS group) and 21
students in the physiotherapy department did not
attend the course (control group). The CS group
received 6 classes on communication skills.
Assessments by self and others (CS group only) on
communication skills, anxiety assessment, and selfefficacy
assessment were conducted before the course
(T1), two months after T1 (T2), and 3 months after T1
before clinical practice (T3). In the CS group, course
evaluation was also conducted at T2.
Results: For course evaluation, all participants
selected the top two grades on a five-grade scale for
necessity, satisfaction, contents, interest and
understanding. For communication skills selfassessment,
the scores at T2 and T3 were higher than
that at T1 in both groups. For communication skills
assessment by others, the score at T3 was higher
compared to those at T1 and T2. For anxiety
assessment, state anxiety did not change in the CS
group, but increased at T3 in the control group.
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that
the communication skills training course improves the
communication skills of students and eases their state
anxiety before clinical practice.
Key words: coaching, communication, clinical practice, education, rehabilitation professions