Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The development of professional behaviour is one of the core components of occupational therapy education. The assessment of professional behaviour poses a problem as the constructs and expectations are not clearly defined; this results in compromised inter-rater reliability. The purpose of the study was to investigate assessors’ understanding of the constructs and the expectations deployed during the assessment of professional behaviour of third and fourth year occupational therapy students during clinical practice. A case study design was used in the qualitative study. Clinical supervisors were involved in: (1) a focus group interview to scrutinise the usefulness of the current assessment instrument and (2) a participatory discussion to determine their understanding of the constructs of professional behaviour and the level of expectations to be set for third and fourth year students respectively. This study confirms that the development of effective assessment of professional behaviour entails a number of pivotal steps that include developing a shared definition of the constructs thereof and the expectations at different levels of undergraduate training, the refinement of the assessment instrument and training of assessors in the use of this assessment instrument. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ontwikkeling van professionele gedrag is een van die kern komponente in arbeidsterapie opleiding. Die assessering daarvan bied egter uitdagings aangesien die konstrukte en verwagtings nie duidelik gedefinieer is nie; dit het gekompromiteerde geldigheid en betroubaarheid tot gevolg aangesien verskillende assessore die professionele gedrag van studente verskillend assesseer. Hierdie studie het die ondersoek van kliniese toesighouers se begrip van die konstrukte en hul verwagtings tydens die assessering van professionele gedrag van derde- en vierdejaar arbeidsterapiestudente tydens kliniese prakties ten doel gehad. ‘n Gevallestudie ontwerp het die basis van ‘n kwalitatiewe ondersoek gevorm. Kliniese toesighouers is betrek in: (1) ‘n fokusgroeponderhoud om die bruikbaarheid en gebruikersvriendelikheid van die huidige assesseringsinstrument te bepaal; en (2) ‘n deelnemende groepbespreking om hul begrip van die konstrukte van professionele gedrag en die verwagte vlakke van funksionering vir onderskeidelik derde- en vierdejaar studente te ondersoek. Hierdie studie bevestig dat die ontwikkeling van effektiewe assessering van professionele gedrag ‘n aantal essensiële stappe behels. Hierdie stappe sluit die ontwikkeling van ‘n gedeelde definisie van die konstrukte en verwagtinge van professionele gedrag in, asook die verskil in verwagtinge op die onderskeie vlakke van voorgraadse opleiding, die verfyning van die bestaande assesseringsinstrument en die opleiding van assessore in die gebruik daarvan.

Thesis (MPhil )-- Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Fieldwork is an essential part of the occupational therapy student’s education, and optimal learning is dependent on effective facilitation by a clinical Occupational Therapist. This study explored the lived experience of the clinical Occupational Therapists in their role as clinical educators by means of a phenomenological inquiry. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinical Occupational Therapists involved in clinical education. The data was analysed by using thematic content analysis, and was discussed according to the Lived Experience of a Clinical Educator Model. The results indicated that the clinical OTs’ sense of self, which revealed strong humanistic values, acted as the core element influencing the way in which they related to others and were able to juggle many roles in order to perform their role as clinical educator. It furthermore influenced the ways in which they managed balance and harmony in the workplace, as well as the process of growth and development. Incongruence during the performance of their roles as clinical educators was mainly caused by insufficient collaboration between the clinical educators and the university, the prescriptive nature of the fieldwork curriculum, workload pressures, the students’ attitudes and their lack of knowledge, as well as insufficient training of new clinical educators. The results may be helpful in fostering a collaborative relationship between the university and the clinical Occupational Therapists, as well as renewed attention to growth and development, all of which will benefit the students’ education. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kliniese werk vorm ‘n essensiële deel van die arbeidsterapie-student se opleiding en dit is noodsaaklik dat die leerproses effektief gefasiliteer word deur ‘n bekwame kliniese Arbeidsterapeut. Hierdie studie het die Arbeidsterapeute se belewing van hul rol as kliniese opvoeders nagevors deur middel van ‘n fenomenologiese ondersoek. Tien semigestruktureerde onderhoude is met kliniese Arbeidsterapeute, tans betrokke by kliniese opleiding, gevoer. Die data is verwerk deur middel van tematiese inhouds-analise en is bespreek aan die hand van die Lived Experience of a Clinical Educator Model. Die resultate het aangedui dat die kliniese terapeute se bewustheid van hulself (‘sense of self’) die kern element vorm wat hul verhoudings, sowel as die wyse waarop hulle al hul onderskeie rolle en take behartig, beïnvloed. Sterk humanistiese waardes kom voor in hierdie kern element. Dit is verder bepalend in die wyse waarop die Arbeidsterapeute balans en harmonie in hul werkplek verseker, sowel as hul professionele groei en ontwikkeling. Inkongruensie tydens die rolvervulling word veroorsaak deur onvoldoende samewerking tussen die universiteit en kliniese opvoeders, ‘n voorskriftelike kurrikulum, werksdruk, studente se negatiewe houding en gebrek aan kennis, sowel as onvoldoende opleiding van die terapeute wat nuut begin met kliniese opleiding. Die resultate mag in die toekoms behulpsaam wees in die totstandkoming van ‘n samewerkende verhouding tussen die universiteit en kliniese terapeute, met genoegsame aandag wat geskenk word aan professionele groei en onwikkeling. Dit kan tot voordeel van die studente se leerproses aangewend word.