Occupational therapy students' experiences and perceptions of journal club participation.

BACKGROUND: Journal clubs can be used as a learning activity for developing students' skills in critical appraisal and are perceived as suitable for increasing students' exposure to research methods. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: To explore how undergraduate occupational therapy students experienced journal club and how they perceived their learning outcomes from participating in this learning activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A mixed methods study comprised of a survey followed by two focus groups was conducted. Seventeen occupational therapy students completed the survey, four of whom also participated in a total of two focus groups. RESULTS: The participants perceived journal clubs as suitable and they suggested that emphasis on this learning activity be increased. Across the two focus groups, four integrated themes were identified: 'organisational prerequisites'; 'potential for learning'; 'learning barriers'; and 'journal club as an integrated learning activity'. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Journal clubs were described as having the potential for increasing students' learning regarding research methods, promoting skills in reading and critically reviewing research articles and having relevance for professional practice. Some barriers were identified, and changes are suggested for future educational practice.

Research-based education in undergraduate occupational therapy and physiotherapy education programmes: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: In a research-based learning environment, students learn how to become critical thinkers and lifelong learners, and to generate discipline-enriching knowledge. Research training is important for all healthcare professionals and the integration of research in education can be one approach to improve evidence-based practice among future professionals. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify studies reporting on research-based education in undergraduate occupational therapy and physiotherapy curricula to document the current state of knowledge and to map factors that reflect and support the implementation of research-based education in undergraduate occupational therapy and physiotherapy programmes. METHODS: A scoping review was used to systematically select and summarize existing literature. The search was conducted using a combination of keywords and MeSH terms in the following databases: EBSCO (Academic Search Elite, CINAHL, ERIC), MEDLINE, Embase, Education Source and grey literature. A thematic analysis identified strategies used to implement and promote research-based education in occupational therapy and physiotherapy bachelor programmes. RESULTS: The database search identified 3068 records. 75 were eligible for full-text assessment and 27 studies were included. The studies were published between 1999 and 2021 and were conducted in Norway, Canada, South Africa, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, Ireland, Taiwan, Italy, and Iran. The study designs were mainly quantitative and qualitative, and studies included primarily occupational therapy and physiotherapy students. We identified the following four strategies: 'student engagement in research', 'curriculum improvement regarding EBP', 'EBP teaching' and 'journal club', where 'EBP teaching' was most frequently identified. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this scoping review suggest that ensuring students' competence in research methods is necessary for students to be able to read and understand research articles, which are important as foundational skills in undergraduate research training. Journal clubs can be a foundation for student engagement with research literature, and students' basic research skills may be facilitated through their involvement in research projects and by conducting systematic reviews. Further, cooperation with clinical practice is important, and the awareness of research-based education should be increased among both faculty members and students.

Practice educators' emphasis on research in supervision of occupational therapy students.

BACKGROUND: One approach to promote students' use of research in future practice involves integrating students' research use in supervision during practice placements. Studies examining this aspect of supervision in practice placements are lacking. AIM: To explore how practice educators perceive and emphasise research in their supervision of occupational therapy students during practice placements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted. A purposive sample was recruited, consisting of participants from community-based health services and hospitals in Norway. We conducted three focus groups and one individual interview with occupational therapists (n = 9). The qualitative data analysis was based on interpretive description. RESULTS: We identified four themes: 'emphasis on research in supervision of students'; 'practice educators' research competence and awareness of research'; 'institutionalisation of research use in everyday practice'; and 'communication and cooperation between education and practice regarding research'. Despite highlighting several benefits of research use, the practice educators focused rarely on students' research use in practice placements. Conclusions and significance: Cooperation between practice educators and faculty members regarding students' training in research use seems essential. Practice educators may need additional training in how research should be emphasised in supervision.

Research-based occupational therapy education: An exploration of students' and faculty members' experiences and perceptions.

INTRODUCTION: One argument for introducing research in bachelor`s degree in health care is to ensure the quality of future health care delivery. The requirements for research-based education have increased, and research on how research-based education is experienced is limited, especially in bachelor health care education programmes. The aim of this study was to explore how occupational therapy students and faculty members experienced and perceived research-based education. METHODS: This qualitative, interpretative description consisted of three focus group interviews with occupational therapy students in their final year (n = 8, 6 and 4), and three focus group interviews with faculty members affiliated with occupational therapy programmes in Norway (n = 5, 2 and 5). Interviewing both students and faculty members enabled us to explore the differences in their experiences and perceptions. RESULTS: Five integrative themes emerged from the analysis: "introducing research early", "setting higher expectations", "ensuring competence in research methods", "having role models" and "providing future best practice". Research was described as an important aspect of the occupational therapy bachelor program as it helps ensure that students achieve the necessary competence for offering future best practice. Students expressed a need to be introduced to research early in the program, and they preferred to have higher expectations regarding use of research. Competence in research methods and the importance of role models were also highlighted. CONCLUSIONS: Undergraduate health care students are expected to be competent in using research. Findings from our study demonstrated that the participants perceived the use of research during training as important to ensure future best practice. Increasing the focus on research in the programme's curricula and efforts to improve students' formal training in research-specific skills could be a starting point towards increased use of research in the occupational therapy profession.