Exploring Professional Behavior Development in Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Students

Abstract

Professional behaviors are critical for fieldwork success and entry-level competency. A convergent mixed-methods institutional case study was utilized as a means to enhance professional behavior outcomes. The Philadelphia Region Fieldwork Consortium (PRFC) Level I Fieldwork Student Evaluation (2nd ed.) was implemented as a pretest posttest measure, in the didactic context, to track one cohort of entry-level Master of Occupational Therapy (OT) students’ professional behavior development during their last academic semester. Students (n=46) and academic professors (n=5) completed pre and posttest ratings across one semester. Paired t-tests demonstrated significant differences between student and faculty ratings and within group difference among students at both time points. Constant comparative analysis of concurrent student journal reflections was triangulated with the PRFC (2nd ed.) categories and quantitative outcomes to gain further insight into student perceptions and experience. Results indicate that OT students’ professional behavior development is developmental and that students are receptive to education on professional behavior expectations and practice. Further research is warranted to develop: 1) a framework to best guide academicians to implement professional behavior curricula within an academic context and 2) a tool with strong psychometric properties that can be consistently utilized within an academic context to measure professionalism. This study adds to a growing body of evidence that supports the need for professional behaviors in OT programs to be consistently assessed and addressed within academia.

Keywords

• professional behavior
• professional development
• occupational therapy education
• fieldwork