ERIC Number: EJ1446855
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Nov
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1475-7257
EISSN: EISSN-1475-7257
Psychology Students' Experiences of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination as an Assessment of Professional Skills in Psychology
Psychology Learning and Teaching, v23 n3 p390-404 2024
A challenge for professional psychology programs is the assessment of students' professional competence. Despite its potential, objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has not gained widespread use in the psychological field. However, at Umeå University and Örebro University in Sweden, the OSCE has been introduced at the Clinical psychology programs to assess professional competence. The aim of this study was to explore students' perceptions of whether and how, preparing for and performing the OSCE benefits their professional learning and prepares them for clinical practice. A web-based questionnaire was administered to 88 psychology students who completed the OSCE and field training. Most of the students perceived the OSCE as a valuable experience that benefits their learning. The OSCE prepared them for clinical practice through practical hands-on training, and by providing essential experience in client interaction, increasing students' confidence in the role as a psychologist. Students also reported that feedback from the OSCE was crucial for their ongoing learning, but that the authenticity of the examination can be improved. Based on these findings, recommendations for future OSCEs in professional psychology include appropriate preparations, providing constructive feedback as well as striving for high authenticity in the tasks of the OSCE stations.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Graduate Students, Masters Degrees, Clinical Psychology, Psychological Studies, Clinical Experience, Performance Based Assessment, Student Attitudes, Professional Training, Evaluation Methods
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Sweden
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A