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.

Yes / Purpose: Role emerging placements in occupational therapy training are contributing to professional and workforce development because of their strong occupational focus and placement of students in emerging practice. This manuscript explores how one role emerging placement challenged and developed student theoretical and clinical skills, presented new ways of working at the recipient site and enhanced service delivery. Methods: The background to role emerging placements in occupational therapy is explored through the use of a case study which reflects on and analyses how the assessment and treatment of occupation enhanced service delivery at a local, no-traditional site is presented. Eight students in England developed and ran a psycho-education group to support the occupational needs of female service users who have experienced domestic abuse. Results: There was an overall increase in self-esteem scores and an expressed increase in knowledge and understanding by participants. Students reported developing a deeper understanding of occupation and the hosts identified the student’s clinical skills as unique contributors to service delivery. Conclusion: By focusing on occupation, role emerging placements draw on the roots of the profession and anchor its future to the theoretical foundations of its past. However, in order to employ occupational therapists, these organisations need to understand what the occupational therapy profession can offer them.

No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 83 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-67).

This thesis deals with Problem-Based Learning (PBL), which is almost unknown in the Czech Republic, and its application in the undergraduate course of occupational therapy. This method is widely used abroad particularly in the medical education and education of other paramedical professions. More traditional way of teaching is maintained in the Faculty of Medicine in the Czech Republic. A large amount of information from various scientific and clinical disciplines that student cannot simply connect in logical context is taught in the traditional courses. Problem-Based Learning is a method that may compensate some needs of the traditional teaching. This thesis introduces PBL and shows examples of its application in teaching occupational therapy abroad. The aim of this thesis is to determine the factors obstructing or facilitating the use of Problem-Based Learning method in the Czech Republic within the undergraduate occupational therapy curriculum, to determine the possibility of application of this method in teaching, to formulate recommendations for the implementation of PBL and to develop design of syllabus using PBL. To meet the objectives of the thesis semistructured interviews with faculty members of the occupational therapy studies at the 1st Medical Faculty of Charles University in Prague...

Over the last two decades there has been heightened interest in redefining faculty scholarship in higher education (Boyer, 1990). Trends have included the development of cultural frameworks for understanding how disciplines and institutions influence faculty work and how socialization processes impact academic career development. Despite the fact that the number of occupational therapy practitioners who have pursued doctoral training in pursuit of an academic career has failed to keep up with the need for qualified faculty, academic interest in developing disciplinary scholars to build the knowledge base of professional practice has been slow to develop. Furthermore, leadership interest in guiding the development of future faculty by studying how current occupational therapy faculty members are developing as scholars has been limited (AOTA, 2003). The purpose of this study was to develop a framework for describing scholarship in occupational therapy faculty members. A theoretically grounded case study design guided the selection of two occupational therapy departments, representing both a research university and a master’s college. Narrative data from occupational therapy faculty members in these institutions provided in-depth perceptions of how faculty members in diverse institutional settings develop a professional identity. Rich understandings of how clinical and academic socialization processes converge as faculty members in academic departments integrate competing influences from the academic culture, the institutional culture, and the professional culture to prioritize faculty work roles. The study revealed that although occupational therapy departments are succeeding within their institutional contexts, personal faculty priorities as clinicianteachers and institutional missions that create an imbalance in roles that favor teaching, continue to disadvantage certain faculty sub-cultures from evolving as disciplinary scholars. The implications of the failure of occupational therapy faculty members to adapt the researcher role as part of a professional identity include barriers to the development of disciplinary knowledge to support practice, and to the development of successful faculty careers that can be advanced in any institutional environment. The study identified a critical role for program leadership to act as change agents within departmental cultures to balance the need for productive disciplinary scholars, as well as effective clinician-teachers.

No description available.

Many health professions are exploring the unique qualities of humanities for insights about humanistic practices, however humanities-based pedagogy has particular relevance to occupational therapy. Given the pressures to standardize and rely on quantitative evidence in occupational therapy practice, it is particularly important to provide students with a strong foundation in humanistic principles that are at the core of the profession. This doctoral project used the pedagogy of John Dewey and evidence in health humanities to develop a humanities-informed course in occupational therapy titled, Perspectives on Disability and Health and Older Adults. The course design integrates physical and biological sciences, social sciences and humanities to offer multi-focal insights into the perspectives of others, and to foster self-awareness and reflexivity. Students will engage with interdisciplinary faculty and older adults in experiences with visual art, performance, and literature to explore human experiences relating to occupation. The course aims for students to advance their understanding of the artistry of practice, to foster client-centered practice, and to advance critical thinking. An evaluation using both formative and summative methods will be used to improve the course and assess its impact on students. The project provides an example for other faculty who are inspired to use humanities to teach client centeredness, artistry of practice and critical thinking. Deweyan informed humanities based learning may contribute to wise occupational therapy practices and growth of the profession.

No description available.

Este estudo analisa o processo de consolidação da Terapia Ocupacional Social, com base na produção científica do estado de São Paulo. Tal campo, criado nos anos 1970, desenvolveu-se a partir de debates nas instituições de ensino de São Paulo, cuja produção tem sido fundamental para seu desenvolvimento no Brasil, com significativas contribuições no âmbito teórico e prático. Como fontes, utilizaram-se os trabalhos apresentados nos seis últimos Congressos Brasileiros de Terapia Ocupacional, bem como a bibliografia sobre o tema. A análise evidenciou as questões levantadas através desse campo, identificou seus principais autores e suas contribuições: o desenvolvimento de tecnologias para lidar com as questões sociais vinculadas à ação junto às(aos) pessoas/grupos em processo de rupturas de redes sociais / This study analyses the Social Occupational Therapy consolidation process based on the scientific production from the state of São Paulo, in whose educational institutions such field, created in the 1970s, was developed by means of several debates. This gave rise to a fundamental production for its development in Brazil, with significant theoretical and practical contributions. The works presented in the six last Brazilian Congresses of Occupational Therapy, as well as the existent bibliography on the subject were used as sources of research. The analysis outlined the questions raised by this field, identified its main authors and their contributions: the development of technologies to deal with social issues related to procedures concerning people/groups going through processes of social net rupture