Exploration of Student Reflections Using the Rehabilitation Treatment Specification System (RTSS) as an Intervention Planning Framework

Teaching intervention planning is enhanced with an intentional course design that incorporates critical thinking in order to prepare the next generation of occupational therapy practitioners. The context for this study was a physical disabilities intervention course for an entry-level occupational therapy program that used Fink's Taxonomy of Significant Learning as a basis for learning outcomes. A novel formative intervention planning assignment required students to use the Rehabilitation Treatment Specification System (RTSS) as a framework to guide their thinking. A qualitative retrospective content analysis of student reflections at the end of the course revealed that the RTSS added value to their learning. Two main themes emerged from the student reflections; "Growth takes Practice" to use this framework effectively and the RTSS was perceived as a "Bridge from Classroom to Practice." These findings support the possible benefits of integrating this framework into occupational therapy curricula as a means to help students further develop critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills. Providing opportunities to scaffold learning may enhance the student learning experience and integration of the framework into future intervention planning and delivery.