The Effects and Issues of PBL Initiatives in Specialized Subjects for Occupational Therapy Students: Qualitative Inductive Analysis of Student Reflection Papers

Abstract

In the subject “Geriatric Occupational Therapy (Detailed Discussion),” taught by the author, active learning through problem-based learning (PBL) is a key component. This subject is structured to integrate general remarks about learning the basics of geriatric occupational therapy with clinical training, aiming to foster more independent attitudes toward learning during clinical training. In this study, we analyzed students’ reflection papers to understand the effects and challenges of PBL in “Geriatric Occupational Therapy (Detailed Discussion).” The findings revealed that students gained satisfaction from active participation, cooperative behavior, and task completion. Additionally, the course provided opportunities to apply and integrate more practical knowledge.