Exploring changes in ocupational therapy students' approaches to learning

Abstract

This article describes a longitudinal cohort study that examined the preferred approaches to learning of pre-registration occupational therapy students (N=55) as they progressed through the three years of an undergraduate BSc (Hons) programme. Students’ orientations to learning were measured using the Short Inventory of Approaches to Studying (ASI) (Entwistle 1981) and results were compared descriptively across repeat measures undertaken during each year of study. Inferential statistics are used to examine whether there were any statistically significant differences in preferred learning approaches throughout the three years of study. The results show moderate changes in learning approaches that are associated with more successful outcomes of learning. Evidence of the use of these deeper approaches to learning were accompanied by statistically significant decreases in less desirable, superficial approaches; with reductions in the mean scores between year one and year three for Operation Learning (p<0.005) and Learning Pathologies (p<0.05). The implications of the findings are discussed in relation to learning and teaching and assessment methods in undergraduate health professional education. Students may be encouraged to become more independent and to develop deeper approaches to learning by reducing formal contact time and developing assessment strategies that emphasise the exploration and application of knowledge.

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Identifiers

ORCID for J. Watson: orcid.org/0000-0002-2756-2148

ORCID for J. Adams: orcid.org/0000-0003-1765-7060

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