The Intentional Fieldwork Education Model: Guiding Fieldwork Educators Toward Intentionality and Competency to Enhance Student Learning

Fieldwork education is an essential component of occupational therapy education. The level of competency and preparedness of fieldwork educators may vary substantially and may significantly impact student learning outcomes. The availability of an evidence-based comprehensive fieldwork model to guide the fieldwork educator, clarify issues related to teaching-learning, and provide insightful solutions to issues the educator may encounter, is warranted but is not currently available. The intentional fieldwork education model, introduced in this article, was developed to provide a framework to enhance fieldwork educator competency, self-efficacy, and student learning outcomes. In addition, the model emphasizes the significance of intentionality in the fieldwork education process and provides educators with evidence and information to promote the process of intentional education throughout the learning continuum. The article will describe the tenets of the intentional fieldwork education model, research results supporting the need and perceived utility of the model, and promote its application among clinical and academic educators.