Exploring the State of the Literature on Teaching Evidence-Based Practice to Speech-Language Pathology Students: A Scoping Review

PURPOSE: The objective of this review article is to examine and describe the literature on training speech-language pathology students on the principles of evidence-based practice (EBP). METHOD: A scoping literature review was undertaken in order to identify studies related to the research question. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol extension for scoping reviews, the author conducted a search of peer-reviewed literature and extracted relevant data from the selected papers. RESULTS: Twenty-five papers were identified that reported information about how academic programs in speech-language pathology train students on EBP. This literature review revealed 11 different instructional approaches. Commonly utilized methods included case-based learning; integration of EBP training into clinical practicum and coursework; and training delivered via seminars, workshops, or modules. However, most papers reported that programs used multiple approaches in their instruction, so it is difficult to parse out which methods are most effective. Additionally, much of the evidence is based on student self-report measures without rigorously collected objective outcome data. CONCLUSIONS: This review presents several options that speech-language pathology educators may use for training students about EBP. Findings reveal a lack of empirical evidence in this area. Future research should focus on direct assessment of student learning outcomes in order to establish data-based efficacy.