Using the Theory of Planned Behavior in the Design and Assessment of Interprofessional Learning

Systematic reviews of interprofessional education have highlighted the lack of explicit theory use in the design, delivery and evaluation of interprofessional learning. This presentation describes the explicit application of the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1999) in the design and evaluation of a longitudinal interprofessional curriculum. The literature on behavior change identifies attitudes as a precursor to behavior change. Individuals need to have an attitude that specific behaviors matter if they are to develop an intent to engage in them. Therefore, without an attitude that interprofessional work matters, it is unlikely learners will engage in the intended collaborative behaviors. Ajzen (1991) identifies three core factors that impact an individual’s intention to engage in specific behaviors; attitude, social norms, and self-efficacy. This predictive behavioral model has been used in the interprofessional curricular design, intentionally targeting these three components.Implementation: A new curriculum was designed to address attitude setting, social norms, and self-efficacy for interprofessional behaviors. Strategies were infused throughout the curriculum to support establishment of an intention to engage in interprofessional behaviors. Attitude setting and social norms were addressed, using evidence, voice, and professional role models. To build self-efficacy, the curriculum includes key concepts, knowledge, and skills to do this work, and team-based learning these are enacted through interprofessional behaviors.Evaluation plan: The interprofessional curriculum has been delivered to a cohort of 1528 learners from 20+ health, social care, and public health programs. A tool to measure the application of the Theory of Planned behavior was developed using Fishbein & Ajzen (2010) model for predicting and changing behavior: the reasoned action approach.Outcome(s) and significance: Data analysis is ongoing and the outcomes from this large cohort of learners will be presented showcasing the outcomes for learners across all professions and highlighting specific trends within the data within specific professions.