Practice educators’ emphasis on research in supervision of occupational therapy students

Abstract

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.

Keywords:

• Occupational therapy education
• research-based education
• research use
• supervision

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the participants who volunteered to take part in this study. In addition, the authors thank Nina Rydland Olsen (Department of Health and Functioning, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway) who contributed to the data collection and analysis for this study. The authors thank Kari Røykenes (Faculty of Health Studies, VID Specialized University, Bergen, Norway) for her critical reading of the manuscript, and Anna Chalachanova (Faculty of Health Studies, VID Specialized University, Sandnes, Norway) who contributed as a co-moderator in one of the focus groups.

Author contributions

KVH was the project manager of this study and monitored the recruitment of practice educators. All authors contributed to the study design, interpretation of results, and critical revisions of the manuscript. The data were collected and analysed by KVH in collaboration with another researcher. KVH drafted the manuscript. JCS and TB provided scientific input for the manuscript drafts, approved the final version to be published, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

In accordance with restrictions imposed by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (NSD) (ID number 8453764), data must be stored on a secure server at VID Specialised University. The contents of the ethics committee’s approval resolution as well as the wording of participants’ written consent do not render open public data access possible. Access to the study’s minimal and depersonalised data set may be requested by emailing the project manager (KVH), at: [email protected].