The Kawa Model: A Self-Reflection Tool for Occupational Therapy Student Development in Practice Placements in Australia.
Ornissa Naidoo, Chantal Christopher, Thanalutchmy Lingah and 1 others
PMID 36711189WHAT IT FOUND
Six occupational therapy students described using the Kawa Model with peer and educator support to notice barriers, set goals, and review progress during remote placements.
Some found the river metaphor hard.
Key findings
01Students described drawing their own Kawa as a way to see barriers and confidence changes more clearly.
02Students reported that repeating the Kawa process helped them identify skill areas, set realistic learning goals, and review progress.
03Students found the river metaphor difficult early, and some later developed a deeper understanding of it.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only six final-year occupational therapy students were interviewed, all female and aged 20 to 30, so the themes may not fit other students. The placement was in a remote Pilbara region, and all students were supervised by the same practice educator. Students had different prior exposure to the Kawa Model, and most had minimal experience, so responses may reflect novelty or confidence differences. Working in peer pairs may have made students reluctant to disclose or may have encouraged positive framing. Use of the model outside fixed sessions was voluntary and not recorded, so the amount of practice varied. The interviews did not include students' drawings, so less could be learned about how they used the model.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the Kawa Model improves occupational therapy student skills or client care. The paper reports students' perceptions after a small remote placement with peer and educator support, not measured skill change.