Understanding the Role-Emerging Fieldwork Placement

Abstract

Students' perceptions of role-emerging placements as a learning experience in occupational therapy were explored using qualitative methods. Transcripts of eleven indepth interviews with student participants were analyzed for emerging themes. The students described the placements as contributing to their learning by: providing opportunities for seeing the client as a person; for personal and professional growth; and for role elaboration. The community context and the placement structure were both seen as major contributors to the students' learning. Potential benefits of these placements for the profession were also identified. The findings provide a comprehensive look at the students' perspectives of these placements and indicate that important learning occurs in the role-emerging experience. Most importantly, findings indicate that role-emerging placements provide important opportunities for the development of students as professionals in a climate of health-care reform. The profession should consider role-emerging placements as growth-inducing learning experiences for students.