This report presents the findings from a postal survey of five cohorts of graduates who successfully completed a 2-year accelerated problem-based postgraduate diploma in occupational therapy. The study aimed to elicit the graduates' views of how problem-based learning (PBL) had affected their professional practice 8 months after qualification.
It was found that the majority of the graduates considered PBL to have equipped them well for their entry to clinical practice. Specifically, it was felt that PBL had made a positive contribution to their problem-solving and teamworking abilities and their clinical knowledge and skills. However, it was also found that some of the graduates were more sceptical about the effects of PBL. For this group, PBL was viewed as having had a limited effect on their abilities, knowledge and skills. The findings are discussed before conclusions and the implications for pre-qualification occupational therapy education are presented.
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