Date
5-2022
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Nathan Street
Keywords
school-based occupational therapy, special education, intervention, magic, arts in medicine, magic-trick themed intervention
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Spencer, Kevin Wayne, "A Phenomenological Study of the Experiences of Graduate Occupational Therapy Students Using a Magic Trick-Themed Intervention" (2022). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 3666.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/3666
Abstract
The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of graduate occupational therapy students in the delivery of a magic trick-themed intervention in their fieldwork to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that may influence their decision to adopt or reject this approach. This study was qualitative, employing a hermeneutic phenomenological approach guided by the theoretical framework of diffusion of innovations theory. The aim was to gain a deeper understanding of the interpretation of their experience and the factors that may influence how and why an arts-integrated, evidence-based practice is adopted or rejected by the participants. It was conducted at the School of Health Professions, a research-intensive institution of higher education (R-1) situated in an urban area in the southern part of the United States. It included graduate occupational therapy students who were enrolled in the Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy program. Findings revealed the lived experiences of the participants with the magic trick-themed intervention moved them through a process of self-discovery, created opportunities for reflection that validated their experiences, helped them recognize specific qualities about themselves, and, ultimately, produced a change in their thinking about the benefits, functionality, and effectiveness of the intervention.
