Occupational Therapy Students’ Perception and Experience of an Effective Clinical Teacher

Background: Clinical education provides an opportunity for students to acquire necessary competency in the clinical education wards (CEWs) through applying knowledge in a controlled clinical setting. Different Studies have reported that from the students’ point of view, clinical teachers’ competence and virtues are the most important factors for facilitating clinical education. This study was conducted to understand the viewpoints and experiences of second-year occupational therapy students of a competent clinical teacher. Methods: In this study, a qualitative content analysis method was utilized. Focus groups were formed in two stages with the participation of five students. After focus group meetings and data analysis, individual interviews continued to acquire data saturation. The codes were extracted based on meaning units. Results: Five hundred twenty-one open codes were extracted which were classified into 25 subcategories and three main categories. The interviewees enumerated many different characteristics for an effective clinical teacher. Conclusion: From the perspective of second-year undergraduate OT students, an effective clinical teacher has specific personal and professional characteristics. Proper planning in OT departments consistent with the goals and content of theoretical as well as clinical courses, plus selecting the right people with sufficient clinical experience who are interested in different areas of OT may improve clinical teacher efficacy.