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For fieldwork educators

Taking a student shouldn’t mean figuring it out alone.

I work on the academic side of fieldwork, so I’ve seen what helps placements go well. This part of the site shares that perspective with the clinicians who make fieldwork happen.

Share with your students

A free guide for the student in front of you

The OT Fieldwork Survival Guide covers what fieldwork can feel like week by week, the most common student mistakes, and how to take feedback as instruction. It’s a useful thing to hand a student before day one.

For OT students · 7 pages

The OT Fieldwork Survival Guide

Some thoughts before your first placement, and tips on how to succeed without burning out.

Get it free

Helpful links

Fieldwork education resources

ACOTE

2023 ACOTE Standards

The accreditation standards for OT and OTA programs. The fieldwork standards are in Section C.

View the standards ↗

AOTA

Fieldwork Educators resource page

The American Occupational Therapy Association’s resources for fieldwork educators.

Visit AOTA ↗

Teaching & research

Fieldwork teaching approaches and research

Teaching approaches and research articles related to fieldwork education.

  1. Bricker, J. L., Hill, K., & Taff, S. D. (2024). Occupational therapy student characteristics influencing Level II fieldwork: An exploratory study of mental health, confidence, and mindful self-care. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 8(3), Article 10. https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2024.080310
  2. Dunn, L. S., Arias, S., Beyer, A., Hermes, E., & Radcliff, S. (2020). Student perspectives of the effective behaviors of occupational therapy Level II fieldwork educators. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 4(4), Article 8. https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2020.040408
  3. Higgins, S. M., & Benaroya, T. (2026). Effectiveness of the AOTA Fieldwork Educator Certificate Program: A cross-sectional survey of participants. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 10(1), Article 14. https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2026.100114
  4. Karp, P. (2020). Occupational therapy student readiness for transition to the fieldwork environment: A pilot case study. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 8(4), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408.1719
  5. Karp, P., Lavin, K. A., & Collins, T. (2022). Exploring fieldwork educator development: Preparation methods and support tools. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 6(1), Article 13. https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2022.060113
  6. Krusen, N. E. (2015). Student voices following fieldwork failure: A phenomenological inquiry. International Journal of Practice-based Learning in Health and Social Care, 3(1), 16–29. https://doi.org/10.18552/ijpblhsc.v3i1.206
  7. Patterson, B., & D’Amico, M. (2020). What does the evidence say about student, fieldwork educator, and new occupational therapy practitioner perceptions of successful Level II fieldwork and transition to practice? A scoping review. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 4(2), Article 10. https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2020.040210
  8. Perry, G. V., Varughese, K. F., Qi, Y., Moore, C., & Jewell, V. D. (2025). Student psychosocial well-being and burnout during Level II fieldwork: An explanatory mixed methods analysis. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 9(1), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2025.090104
  9. Short, M., Letham, C., Currie, L., & Drynan, D. P. (2017). Comparing occupational therapy students’ competency scores: 2:1 versus 1:1 fieldwork. International Journal of Practice-based Learning in Health and Social Care, 5(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.18552/ijpblhsc.v5i1.385
  10. Snyder, K. (2018). Exploring students’ use of feedback during occupational therapy Level II fieldwork experiences. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 2(2), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2018.020204
  11. Zock, M. T., & Nadeau, B. (2025). The perception of occupational therapists and their use of therapeutic use of self when interacting with clients and fieldwork students. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 13(4), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408.2388

Fieldwork in the journal

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Written for students, useful for seeing fieldwork through their eyes.

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Questions, ideas, or a topic you’d like covered.

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