Occupational Therapy Department, Samuel Merritt University, Oakland, CA, United States of America.
Faculty of Health Science, Department of Health and Care Sciences, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
PLoS One. 2021 Jun 25;16(6):e0253773. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253773. eCollection 2021.
Longitudinal research is one effective way to gauge changes in a student cohort over time, however attrition in these studies is typically high, which can result in study bias. This study explored learning environment factors, approaches to studying, and academic performance as predictors of occupational therapy students' consistent participation in data collection conducted over three years of their professional program.
A longitudinal study of Norwegian occupational therapy students (analyzed n = 240) was conducted. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore occupational therapy students' perceptions of the learning environment, their approaches to studying, and exam grades as they related to the likelihood of consistent participation at three annual surveys.
Annual response rates varied between 55.1%, and 65.6%, and consistent participation was observed among 49.2%. The fully adjusted regression models showed that higher strategic approach scores increased the odds of consistent participation (adjusted OR: 1.04, p < 0.01), whereas higher surface approach scores decreased the odds of consistent participation (adjusted OR: 0.95, p < 0.05). Neither sociodemographic factors, learning environment factors nor academic performance predicted participation over time.
Researchers can anticipate relatively high levels of attrition in longitudinal studies of occupational therapy students, but attrition seems to be largely proportional between groups. However, completers in longitudinal studies may be somewhat more well-organized and academically oriented than drop-outs.
纵向研究是衡量学生群体随时间变化的有效方法，但这些研究的流失率通常很高，这可能导致研究偏倚。本研究探讨了学习环境因素、学习方法和学业成绩作为职业治疗学生在专业课程三年数据收集过程中持续参与的预测因素。
对挪威职业治疗学生（分析 n = 240）进行了一项纵向研究。使用逻辑回归分析探讨了职业治疗学生对学习环境的看法、他们的学习方法以及考试成绩与他们在三次年度调查中持续参与的可能性之间的关系。
年度响应率在 55.1%至 65.6%之间变化，在三次年度调查中，有 49.2%的学生持续参与。完全调整的回归模型显示，较高的策略方法得分增加了持续参与的可能性（调整后的 OR：1.04，p<0.01），而较高的表面方法得分降低了持续参与的可能性（调整后的 OR：0.95，p<0.05）。社会人口因素、学习环境因素和学业成绩都不能预测随时间的参与度。
研究人员可以预期职业治疗学生的纵向研究中会有较高的流失率，但流失率在各组之间似乎大致相当。然而，纵向研究中的完成者可能比辍学者更有条理和学术倾向。
