First Year Occupational Therapy Students’ Engagement in Learning Activities: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

When students enter a bachelor program in occupational therapy, they engage in a variety of learning activities. To explore students’ perceptions of learning activities, this qualitative study investigated the experiences of six first year students participating in an occupational therapy study program at a Norwegian university. The students took part in two focus group interviews. The interview analysis focused on meaning and ended up with three main themes: 1) Getting to know each other through collaborative learning activities, 2) Engaging in classroom learning activities, and 3) Approaching the syllabus and doing assignments. The study concludes that early engagement in social and collaborative learning activities can be a meaningful prerequisite to future learning focused on meaning and feeling safe in the learning environment. Teaching styles also influence students’ engagement in the occupation of studying, with the change from one teaching style to another being particularly challenging for the students.