Teaching
The Physiotherapy education in India is 4,5 year with six month Internship in compare to three years in Sweden. The first year is theoretical including a dissection. In the following part of the education practical/ treatment are performed in the morning and lectures in the afternoon. This is possible due to the Hospital and education is located in the same building. This is not the case in Sweden.Pharmacology and radiology is part of the education, which is not the case in the Swedish education. The students are theoretically good and my impression is that they have more theoretical knowledge than the Swedish students. On the other hand they may have some difficulties to translate the theory into practice, which in some cases may be easier for the Swedish student. In India the patients are mostly treated with cloth on. In Sweden we may treat the patient with too less cloth.
To speak about relations is complex. It is a difference in the teacher/ student relation in Sweden and India.
In India the students are respectful towards the teachers and obligated to support the teachers in many ways. It is sometimes an important source to learn. In Sweden we do not speak about respect, rather about authority and the teachers are not teaching the students in any informal way.
The first year of exchange we discussed together each other's curricula and decided what respective country wish to learn more about. The Indian teachers interest was physical activity in all different ways, to learn about qualitative research method, communication skills, Basic body awareness and about professionalism. The Swedish teachers wanted to learn about Academic Debate, exchange pedagogic methods, develop a subject on Cultural competence and. My teaching has been to keep up what we have reached and see that Hula hooping, Nordic pole walking, Group gymnastic comes into the curriculum and will develop and sustain when the L-P exchange is completed.
The teaching has advanced with literature review for
the master students to prepare those coming to Sweden but also involve the
students who will not have the possibility to go abroad. The forms for teaching
are student entered, active never just lectures. Both Swedish and Indian
students are involved in teaching younger students in India, not in Sweden.
They have also been involved in teaching health care providers together with
teachers. The last year focus for Indian and Swedish teachers has been on
teaching together.