Work beliefs and experiential learning among proficient physical therapists in Japan: developing a method to support belief formation

[Purpose] This study aimed to elucidate the content of work beliefs related to proficiency among physical therapists in Japan. [Participants and Methods] Participants included 50 therapists who met the definition of proficiency to participate in a questionnaire survey conducted between October 2017 and March 2019. Participants were asked to freely describe their daily work beliefs, including their thoughts, values, and ideals. This content was coded and categorized using open coding; a hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward’s method) was conducted of the proficient therapists with the individuals and belief categories as the variables. All belief categories were classified into three groups. [Results] Three work beliefs were identified as follows: 1) practices that emphasize building relationships in the field, 2) broad practices with physical therapist pride (responsibility and enthusiasm), and 3) practices with awareness of treatment outcomes and social benefits. [Conclusion] A better understanding of the three aforementioned work beliefs would facilitate good support for and development of physical therapists. We recommend continuing to elucidate the three work beliefs identified among proficient therapists and verify their educational effects.