Exploration of Students’ Clinical Reasoning Development in Professional Physical Therapy Education

Identifying Instructional Methods for Development of Clinical Reasoning in Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Education: A Mixed Methods Design

“…Mattingly (1991) reported that clinical reasoning in occupational therapy is not only articulating knowledge but is a skill that is translated "…through our hands and our eyes…" (p. 979). The development of clinical reasoning in occupational therapy follows a continuum of five stages and is a skill that is developed over time (Furze et al, 2015;Neistadt, 1996;Unsworth, 2001). The five stages include novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert, with each stage marked by a variety of characteristics (Neistadt, 1996;Unsworth, 2001).…”

“…While providing foundational knowledge is straight forward for educators in occupational therapy, teaching students the application of these concepts to the complex healthcare climate is challenging (Coker, 2010;Lysaght & Bent, 2005;Scaffa & Wooster, 2004). Educating students to use clinical reasoning to think like a therapist is difficult because of (a) the multitude of factors that contribute to this cognitive process, (b) a variety of definitions throughout the health professional education literature, (c) the diversity of student experiences, and (d) an ingrained way of thinking and acting in situations that is challenging for educators to articulate (Delany & Golding, 2014;Furze et al, 2015;McCannon et al, 2004;Neistadt, 1996). Therefore, it is important for occupational therapy educators to understand which instructional methods are effective for the development of clinical reasoning (Gupta & Bilics, 2014).…”

“…Occupational therapists must use clinical reasoning to deliver clientcentered and occupation-based services that are grounded in theory and evidence to meet these complex needs (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2015). Therefore, occupational therapy education must provide contemporary and evidence-based educational practices that yield graduates with the relevant skills for successful practice in dynamic and challenging environments (Burke & Harvison, 2014;Coker, 2010;Furze et al, 2015;Gupta & Bilics, 2014).…”

“…Experts recognize that clinical reasoning is an essential skill for practice (Furze et al, 2015;McCannon, Robertson, Caldwell, Juwah, & Elfessi, 2004;Scaffa & Wooster, 2004), and that occupational therapy education is initially responsible for the development and growth of this critical skill (Coker, 2010;Scaffa & Smith, 2004). However, there is little evidence about which instructional methods are best for, or unique to, occupational therapy education (Hooper, King, Wood, Bilics, & Gupta, 2013).…”

Clinical Decision-making in Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students: Quantitative Findings

“…Based on the previously discussed research, students in health professions demonstrate differences in clinical decision-making as compared to experts (Crebbin, et al, 2013;Ginsberg, et al, 2016). These skills appear to develop over time (Arocha & Patel, 1995;Banning, 2008;Crebbin, et al, 2013;Furze, et al, 2015). It is proposed that these changes occur as a result of hands-on clinical experiences (Crebbin, et al, 2013;Norman, 2005).…”