The impact of problem-based learning on clinical reasoning in occupational therapy education.

This study addressed the influence of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on clinical reasoning skills in occupational therapy students. PBL is an educational method proposed to facilitate clinical reasoning and a repertoire of problem-solving skills. Occupational Performance Approaches is a course offered to students during the summer of the fifth year of coursework. It incorporates PBL in the laboratory portion. This study focused on 22 non-traditional students participating in the lecture and laboratory portion of this course to determine the influence, if any, that PBL had on clinical reasoning. The results of this study demonstrated that PBL did not impact students' clinical reasoning during the eight-week time frame.