Changes in flow experience among occupational therapy students: a 1-year longitudinal study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Therapy Education
• Psychology of Flow Experience

Background:

• Flow experience is crucial for student engagement and learning.
• Longitudinal studies on flow experience in occupational therapy students are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in flow experience among occupational therapy students over a 1-year period.
• To identify potential differences in flow experience based on gender.

Main Methods:

• A prospective longitudinal study involving 97 occupational therapy students.
• Flow experience assessed using the Flow Experience Checklist at baseline and 1-year follow-up.
• Analysis included 87 students at baseline and 75 at follow-up (86.2% retention).

Main Results:

• Significant differences in the frequency of flow experience were observed between baseline and 1-year follow-up specifically among male occupational therapy students (P<0.05).
• The mean age of participants was 19.59±1.1 years, with 45 males and 30 females included in the final dataset.

Conclusions:

• The frequency of flow experience significantly declined in male occupational therapy students after one year.
• Findings suggest a need for educational interventions to foster and sustain flow experiences in this demographic.
• Further research may explore gender-specific factors influencing flow in occupational therapy education.