Introduction: Service-learning (SL) seems to be useful for healthcare students. This study aimed at comparing an SL program versus a traditional approach (TA) on moral sensitivity, ethical competences, knowledge, teaching quality, SL participation and performance, and satisfaction in physiotherapy students.
Methods: Randomized clinical trial. A total of 32 physiotherapy students were allocated to an SL group (SLG, n = 16), or to a TA group (TAG, n = 16). Participants had to create an exercise program for patients with heart transplantation and acute coronary syndrome. The SLG performed the program with real patients, whilst the TAG performed a traditional collaborative approach. Moral sensitivity, ethical competences, knowledge and teaching quality were assessed pre- and post-intervention. SL participation and performance and satisfaction of the SLG were assessed post-intervention.
Results: After the intervention, the SLG showed higher moral sensitivity, ethical competences, knowledge and reported better teaching quality than the TAG. The SL program was useful, addressed a real need, contributed to learning, helped to solve problems, facilitated better comprehension, increased motivation, and students would like to use SL in other subjects.
Conclusions: The SL program had a positive impact on students, encouraging the implementation of similar SL interventions. SL may be considered a teaching-learning methodology of choice in physiotherapy students.
Keywords: community health services; education; physiotherapy; service-learning; teaching-learning methodology.