There has been little research into physiotherapists‘ role in patient education in the UK. The purpose of this case study was to understand to a greater extent the perceptions and concepts of physiotherapists in relation to their role in patient education with a view to generating new perspectives, informing debate and course development, and providing a springboard to further research. Physiotherapists (16) who were all associated with one Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the UK participated in the study and represented a spectrum of experience from novice to expert. The participants included 4 final year students on the brink of qualification, 9 qualified physiotherapists who were MSc students and 3 physiotherapy academics who taught on practice educator role development modules and were research active. A qualitative, interpretive approach was based on semi-structured interviews which were recorded and transcribed. A two-stage approach to analysis was adopted, with a thematic approach to the total data set followed by deeper analysis of key themes drawing on interpretative repertoire, focussing particularly on the use of metaphor.