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Transformation from student to occupational therapist: Using the D elphi technique to identify the threshold concepts of occupational therapy
Author(s) -
NicolaRichmond Kelli M.,
Pépin Geneviève,
Larkin Helen
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
australian occupational therapy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.595
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1440-1630
pISSN - 0045-0766
DOI - 10.1111/1440-1630.12252
Subject(s) - occupational therapy , transformational leadership , context (archaeology) , psychology , set (abstract data type) , medical education , medicine , computer science , social psychology , paleontology , psychiatry , biology , programming language
Background/aim Understanding and facilitating the transformation from occupational therapy student to practitioner is central to the development of competent and work‐ready graduates. However, the pivotal concepts and capabilities that need to be taught and learnt in occupational therapy are not necessarily explicit. The threshold concepts theory of teaching and learning proposes that every discipline has a set of transformational concepts that students must acquire in order to progress. As students acquire the threshold concepts, they develop a transformed way of understanding content related to their course of study which contributes to their developing expertise. The aim of this study was to identify the threshold concepts of occupational therapy. Method The D elphi technique, a data collection method that aims to demonstrate consensus in relation to important questions, was used with three groups comprising final year occupational therapy students ( n = 11), occupational therapy clinicians ( n = 21) and academics teaching occupational therapy ( n = 10) in V ictoria, A ustralia. Results Participants reached consensus regarding 10 threshold concepts for the occupational therapy discipline. These are: understanding and applying the models and theories of occupational therapy; occupation; evidence‐based practice; clinical reasoning; discipline specific skills and knowledge; practising in context; a client‐centred approach; the occupational therapist role; reflective practice and; a holistic approach. Conclusion The threshold concepts identified provide valuable information for the discipline. They can potentially inform the development of competencies for occupational therapy and provide guidance for teaching and learning activities to facilitate the transformation to competent practitioner.