engleski

Bridging the theory-practice divide: Student perspectives on applying occupation-based theory in practice.

To effectively enable occupational performance, contemporary occupational therapy practice should be grounded in theoretical models of occupation. As such, practitioner competences for selecting, explaining and analysing theoretical frameworks should be integrated into clinical reasoning and decision-making processes. While educational programs play an important role in ensuring students acquire the knowledge and skills needed to apply theory in practice, educators and students are often challenged by a dissonance between the strong emphasis on theory in the curriculum and limited opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge in fieldwork. The present study used both quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (interview) methodologies to examine student perspectives related to occupation-based theory, the relevance of theoretical models in practice and students’ experience and competence in applying theory in clinical practice. Participants were 45 students in their first year of OT studies. While the findings from the quantitative phase of the research indicated that a majority of students expressed an emerging understanding of occupation-based models and theory, individual interviews provided a more nuanced picture of the ongoing uncertainties students held in relation to connecting theory and practice. The findings of this study will be discussed in relation to current pedagogical methods for supporting students to bridge the theory-practice divide.

occupation-based models, applying theory to practice, occupational therapy education

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