Clients becoming teachers: Speech-language pathology students' understanding of rehabilitation following clinical practicum in a rehabilitation setting.
There has been limited research investigating the conceptual development of rehabilitation in speech-language pathology (SLP) students. The aim of this study was to describe SLP students' understanding of rehabilitation following completion of a clinical practicum in a rehabilitation setting. This study was conducted using a qualitative approach according to grounded theory methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 SLP students who had completed a practicum in a rehabilitation setting. Interview data analysis revealed the emergence of five axial categories. Clients becoming teachers was identified as the core category, as the notion that clients were fundamental to students' understanding of rehabilitation occurred reliably throughout the data and related to all other categories. A theoretical model was proposed that demonstrated successive levels of support to students in the acquisition of their understanding of rehabilitation on practicum. Students' understanding of rehabilitation was derived from client-related interactions and factors experienced on practicum in rehabilitation settings. Rehabilitation practicum provided students with a rich and complex learning environment that may facilitate the development of the "core skills" identified for rehabilitation practice.
Attrill
Stacie
S
Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, The Flinders University of South Australia, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia. Stacie.Attrill@flinders.edu.au
Gunn
Simon
S
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D032882:Comprehension; D004517:Education, Professional / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D007858:Learning; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013066:Speech-Language Pathology / Q000193:education*