Curricular intersections of university extension and teaching in Physical Therapy programs

Abstract

Introduction: University extension can be a vehicle for social change and aid in the education of universitystudents; however, it is important to study how it is inserted in university programs so that educational actions and policies can be planned more adequately. Objectives: To study the insertion of extension activities in undergraduate physical therapy curricula in Brazilian federal universities. Method: Documentary research conducted by accessing files available on the Internet. Data were analyzed quantitatively in the form of numbers and percentages. We examined documents from 22 of the 29 federal universities that offered physical therapy programs. Results: University extension takes the form of complementary academic activities together with other options such as participating in conferences, specifictraining courses and working as a teaching assistant. Undergraduate physical therapy courses have a 4,000h to 4,925h course load, of which 0.72% to 8.9% are dedicated to extension activities. Conclusion: The data indicate that the insertion of extension activities in undergraduate physical therapy programs offered by Brazilian federal universities needs to be reassessed according to recommended policies and guidelines.