International Fieldwork: A Qualitative Analysis of the Lived Experiences of OT Students in Ecuador

PURPOSE: To examine the lived learning experiences of ten occupational therapy students who participated in ten-day, international Level I fieldwork experience to Ibarra, Ecuador. The goal of this phenomenological study was to understand how the international fieldwork placement influenced the professional growth of the MSOT students. This study also explored the effects of a culturally-rich, fieldwork placement in Ibarra, Ecuador that would later shape future fieldwork placements abroad.

DESIGN: A phenomenological design was utilized to capture the lived experiences of ten student participating in an international level I fieldwork placement. The qualitative data was collected through semi-structured focus groups during the fieldwork experience on days: three, six, and nine. The questions were open-ended and lasted 30 minutes to emphasized the lived experiences of the occupational therapy students. The focus groups were designed to capture the students’ perception of cultural diversity, client-centered care, and self-reflections as future occupational therapists. The questions were developed to reflect the constructs presented by Gat and Ratzon (2014) and Overton, Clark and Thomas (2009) who discussed how fieldwork can influence professional development, which can be cultivated in occupational therapy clinical education.

METHODS: Convenience sampling was utilized to recruit student participants who completed their second level I experience in Ecuador. The qualitative data captured through semi-structured interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, coded, and themed by utilizing Braun and Clarke (2006) six steps of thematic analysis. The coding processes consisted of becoming familiar with the data, generating codes, reducing codes into categories, and refinement of categories into themes to understanding the data. The primary investigator and a blinded researcher from another university independently reviewed and coded the data for salient information about the students’ experiences. Data analysis included condensing the codes into categories based on similarities in sentiment, meaning, and content. The categories were refined into themes after a collaborative exchange, followed by assigning names and defining the themes.

RESULTS: Clinical immersion into a developing country that did not speak English accelerated the development of critical thinking skillsets and occupation-based practices of participating occupational therapy students. The following themes emerged from the qualitative data 1) development of critical thinking, 2) culture as a conduit to client/family and occupation-based practice, and 3) importance of communication.

CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the value of integrating international experiences into fieldwork curricula to facilitate the professional development of occupational therapy students in the areas of critical thinking, communication, and occupation-based practice. The success of this qualitative study contributed to the development of Level II fieldwork in Ibarra, Ecuador for students at the participating University.

Occupational therapy fieldwork is a pivotal component of the professional development of entry-level practitioners. This study encourages the continued research and implementation of international fieldwork to support future practitioners to gain skillsets in critical thinking, therapeutic relationships, and the implementation of occupation-based interventions. This type of fieldwork can strengthen the profession by helping students to gain multicultural perspectives whiling build upon existing problem-solving skills, rapport building, and the ability to create meaningful interventions.

References

Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Gat, S. & Ratzon, N. Z. (2014). Comparison of occupational therapy students’ perceived skills after traditional fieldwork nontraditional fieldwork. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68, e47. https://dx.doi.org.ezproxylocal.library.nova.edu/10.5014/ajot.2014.007732

Overton, A., Clark, M., & Thomas, Y. (2009). A review of nontraditional occupational therapy practice placement education: A focus on role-emerging and project placements. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72(7), 294-301. https://doi.org/10.1177/030802260907200704