Student perspectives of the effective behaviors of occupational therapy level II fieldwork educators

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Volume

4

Issue

4

Publication Date

2020

Abstract

Occupational therapy students complete a period of clinical education, when they apply academic learning in clinical situations, supervised by a fieldwork educator. Fieldwork education supports the student in developing technical and clinical reasoning skills, engaging in evidence-based practice, and socialization to the profession. Despite the key role fieldwork educators play in occupational therapy student professional and skill development, evaluation of educator skills and the fieldwork experience are slight. This descriptive study explored occupational therapy fieldwork educator behaviors to determine those behaviors indicative of a quality experience from the student perspective, using the Clinical Teaching Effectiveness Inventory (CTEI). Student responses identified the quality and frequency of fieldwork educator behaviors experienced. A Spearman correlation showed frequency and quality of educator behaviors were positively associated, possibly indicating students perceive higher quality of the behavior when observed more frequently. Behaviors associated with a quality clinical experience included both educator characteristics and teaching skills pertinent to learning. Specifically, an approachable fieldwork educator who uses teaching strategies to develop clinical skills creates a positive learning environment. The results of this study can inform academic programs in providing professional development opportunities for fieldwork educators to enhance their teaching skills. Additionally, the results guide fieldwork educators in interpersonal and teaching skills to create a positive fieldwork experience. Through improvement of fieldwork experiences, both the profession and clients benefit.

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