Making the Most of Fieldwork Education

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

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2. Professional and Organizational Contexts of Fieldwork

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. What is fieldwork education?

      • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

      Pages 3-9

   3. The fieldwork curriculum

      • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

      Pages 10-13

   4. Fieldwork dynamics

      • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

      Pages 14-19

   5. The context of fieldwork

      • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

      Pages 20-31

   6. Allocation of placements

      • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

      Pages 32-36

   7. Accreditation and qualities of the fieldwork educator

      • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

      Pages 37-52

3. The Fieldwork Experience

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 53-53

      PDF

   2. Setting the scene: expectations of you and others

      • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

      Pages 55-61

   3. Examining your needs

      • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

      Pages 62-83

   4. Taking responsibility

      • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

      Pages 84-100

   5. The first few days

      • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

      Pages 101-115

   6. Participating in service delivery

      • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

      Pages 116-129

   7. Being supervised

      • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

      Pages 130-143

   8. Practising as a professional

      • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

      Pages 144-154

   9. Developing reasoning skills

      • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

      Pages 155-169

   10. Becoming a reflective learner

       • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

       Pages 170-185

   11. Developing competence

       • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

       Pages 186-196

   12. Being assessed

       • Auldeen Alsop, Susan Ryan

       Pages 197-205

Fieldwork education, which combines work-based learning and assessment, has a pivotal place in professional education. It provides a precious opportunity to inte­ grate the art, science and ethical practice of Occupational Therapy. The therapeutic milieu is also the most appropriate but difficult setting in which to judge 'compe­ tence to practise'. Yet fieldwork education has not received the attention, resources, research and status it deserves. This is why this book is so important. The focus upon the students' experience reflects the central tenet of the book: the responsibility, challenge and pleasure of life-long learning. The book covers the whole spectrum of fieldwork in a way which will be of interest to academic and fieldwork educators too. This is achieved through a striking balance between reas­ suring, practical advice and scholarliness. The reader is encouraged to enter into current debates, engage in inter-disciplinary and international comparisons and appreciate the tensions between professional issues and organizational contexts. The insights into the logistical, political and educational factors which contribute to the theory-practice gap are noteworthy. In my view, the authors have produced an excellent introduction to fieldwork education, and especially to the complexities of clinical reasoning which is a vital component of initial and continuing competence for many professions. I hope the book will enhance the effectiveness of fieldwork education and thus the quality of health and social care.

• assessment
• attention
• care
• dynamics
• education
• health
• occupational therapy
• organizations
• quality
• research
• therapy

• South-bank University, London, UK

  Auldeen Alsop

• University of East London, UK

  Susan Ryan

Policies and ethics