Attributes of excellence in practice educators: The perspectives of Australian occupational therapy students

Abstract

Aim: Occupational therapists frequently undertake the role of practice educator contributing to the development of the future workforce, however, little is known about how they effectively perform this role. This study aimed to elucidate students' perspectives on what makes an excellent practice educator. Method: Documentation for 124 Practice Excellence Commendations nominations by Queensland occupational therapy students for Queensland Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Collaborative awards between 2008 and 2011 were analysed. These were based on students' experiences on long block placements (five weeks or more) in their later years of undergraduate or masters' entry study. Written nominations addressing five selection criteria were de-identified and responses to each of these compiled. One independent coder and the two lead authors read the transcripts, identified coding categories and reached consensus regarding emerging themes using standard content and thematic analysis techniques. Results: Providing the 'just right' challenge was the overarching theme that symbolised excellence in practice education from students' perspectives. Three themes emerged that enabled practice educators to provide student support needed to balance the challenges of learning on placement; (i) valuing a reciprocal relationship; (ii) facilitating learning opportunities and experiences; and (iii) encouraging autonomy and independence. Conclusion: Findings provided insights into student perceptions about how excellent practice educators facilitated their learning while on placement. These insights can be used to inform practice educators who wish to enhance their supervision skills. Future research should focus on how the attributes of practice educators positively influence student learning outcomes.

Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Educator Practices and Preferences in Clinical Education

“…Findings from the present study suggest that supervisors identified positive and important practice experiences similar to student responses in the literature. Positive characteristics for both fieldwork supervisors and students included self-directed learning, hands-on training, interdisciplinary communication, and exposure to a variety of cases and clients, which align with the literature based on student responses (Rodger et al, 2014;Towns & Ashby, 2014). In addition, 95% of the survey respondents in the present study feel responsible for adapting to a student's learning style, a characteristic students value more than any other educator behavior (Koski et al, 2013).…”

“…Understanding a student's learning style, grading student exposure to more challenging areas of practice, encouraging self-directed learning, and providing balanced and timely feedback are consistent indicators of quality supervision and significantly influence student learning (Koski, Simon, & Dooley, 2013;Rodger et al, 2014;Towns & Ashby, 2014). Difficulty articulating professional reasoning from theory to practice is reported among occupational therapists in the literature (Kinn & Aas, 2009) and may contribute to a perception by students that a disconnect exists between the classroom and practice (Elliot, Velde, & Wittman, 2002;Towns & Ashby, 2014).…”

Ensino e aprendizagem da prática profissional: o caso dos supervisores de estágio do curso de graduação em Terapia Ocupacional da UFSCar

“…Em nossa pesquisa obtivemos resultados similares a outros trabalhos 4,8,10 , indicando que para exercer a função de supervisor é necessário embasamento científico; experiência no campo de atuação; habilidades didáticas; e, principalmente, domínio teórico-clínico.…”

“…Esse processo depende da construção da relação e do diálogo entre supervisor e estudante, da compreensão do estilo de aprendizagem do aluno, e da construção de uma relação "de confiança e dependência" (p.80) 1 , que promoverá a autonomia do estudante, além da oferta de suporte subjetivo e emocional, e de feedback 4,[8][9][10] . Muitos trabalhos na área abordam a questão do ensino-aprendizagem no estágio em uma tentativa de avaliação, revisão e busca de novas estratégias para melhor adequá-lo às exigências sociais 11,12 .…”

“…Os desenhos estabelecidos para esse diálogo são diversos, porém com a convergência de contemplarem, pelo acompanhamento das ações realizadas pelos alunos, o ensino do raciocínio profissional e das habilidades necessárias para o cuidado em terapia ocupacional ressonantes com o campo específico e com o funcionamento institucional, em um processo de avaliação formativa 2 . Portanto, é apresentada como elemento condutor desse processo, circunscrita às características do serviço e ao campo de atuação, além de características particulares do supervisor, como seu estilo, suas habilidades e competências, e a constante atualização teórica e prática, domínio teórico-clínico, e habilidades didáticas [8][9][10] . Assim, grupos colaborativos de aprendizagem; aprendizagem com os pares/colegas; aprendizagem baseada em problemas; metodologia de estudo de caso; seminários de raciocínio clínico, discussões de caso coletivas permitindo um diálogo multidisciplinar, são as estratégias encontradas na literatura 4,11,[13][14][15] .…”