dc.contributor.author	Shaffer, Amy Lynne
dc.coverage.spatial	Atlanta (Ga.)	en_US
dc.coverage.temporal	c.2018-2020	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2024-08-27T14:43:28Z
dc.date.available	2024-08-27T14:43:28Z
dc.date.issued	2020-08-07
dc.identifier.other	06657080-51A0-F49F-4DFB-7B57D5B67BF5	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10428/7254
dc.description.abstract	Occupational Therapy practitioners in the state of Georgia are required to participate in formal professional development activities for licensure renewal biennially. Formal professional development activity participation, such as continuing education, is regulated by state licensure law. A variety of research can be located indicating such formal professional development activities are not meeting the immediate needs required to maintain professional currency. The informal professional development activities in which Occupational Therapy practitioners in Georgia participate are not regulated, nor tracked. Limited research has been located related to engagement in informal professional development activities by allied health professionals such as Occupational Therapy practitioners. This study investigated the phenomenon of communities of practice as a form of informal professional development employed by the Occupational Therapy practitioner in the state of Georgia. A review of the literature was conducted using the proficiency theory of adult learning as the catalyst for informal professional development participation. The literature surveyed further indicated deficits in expected versus reported learning during participation in formal continuing education activities. As a result of this review, a qualitative study using focus groups was conducted to determine how the informal learning in a community of practice influenced the professional development of Occupational Therapy practitioners in the state of Georgia. Analysis of the data indicated that Occupational Therapy practitioners support the proficiency theory of adult learning by consulting communities of practice frequently to impact patient outcomes, support peers, and translate knowledge to practice quickly.	en_US
dc.description.tableofcontents	ABSTRACT i -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vi -- Chapter I: 1 INTRODUCTION 1 -- Background 1 -- Statement of Problem 9 -- Purpose 9 -- Research Questions 10 -- Significance of Problem 11 -- Theoretical Framework 17 -- Limitations/Delimitations 19 -- Definition of Terms 22 -- Chapter II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 26 -- Focus Group Research 26 -- Proficiency Theory of Adult Learning 28 -- Continuing Education 29 -- Continuing Professional Development 32 -- Types of Learning 36 -- Non-formal learning 36 -- Informal Learning 37 -- Incidental Learning 38 -- Communities of Practice 38 -- Patient Outcomes 42 -- Professional Currency 43 -- Lifelong Learning Commitment 45 -- Knowledge Translation 50 -- Intrinsic Motivation 53 -- Nonformal CPE Opportunities 56 -- Best Practices in Continuing Professional Development 61 -- Chapter III: METHODOLOGY 66 -- Population & Sample 66 -- Setting 68 -- Measures 69 -- Procedures 70 -- Data Analysis 71 -- Validity 74 -- Ethical Issues 78 -- Data Presentation 79 -- Chapter IV: RESULTS 80 -- Recruitment 81 -- Sample 83 -- Data Collection 87 -- Data Analysis 89 -- Research Themes 93 -- Participation Frequency 93 -- Interdisciplinary Communication 99 -- Knowledge Translation 101 -- Peer Support 105 -- Patient Outcomes 106 -- Future Practitioner Training 108 -- Summary 109 -- Chapter V: CONCLUSIONS 111 -- Interpretation of the Findings 112 -- Participation Frequency 113 -- Formal professional development participation 113 -- Informal professional development participation 116 -- Interdisciplinary Communication 118 -- Knowledge Translation 120 -- Peer Support 121 -- Patient Outcomes 123 -- Future Practitioner Training 124 -- Implications for Proficiency Theory 126 -- Impact Evaluation 127 -- Limitations 132 -- Recommendations for Further Research 133 -- Conclusions 135 -- Final Thoughts 140 -- REFERENCES 143 -- APPENDIX A 164	en_US
dc.format.extent	1 electronic document and derivatives, 190 pages. 2416122 bytes.	en_US
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.rights	This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.	en_US
dc.subject	Adult learning	en_US
dc.subject	Atlanta (Ga.)	en_US
dc.subject	Continuing education	en_US
dc.subject	Dissertations, Academic--United States	en_US
dc.subject	Georgia	en_US
dc.subject	Occupational therapy	en_US
dc.subject	Professional development—Law and legislation—Georgia	en_US
dc.subject	Professional development	en_US
dc.title	The Phenomenon of Communities of Practice as Professional Development for Occupational Therapy Practitioners in the Atlanta, Georgia Metropolitan Area	en_US
dc.type	Dissertation	en_US
dc.contributor.department	College of Education and Human Services of Valdosta State University	en_US
dc.description.advisor	Backes, Charles E.
dc.description.committee	Waugh, C. Keith
dc.description.committee	Martinez, Reynaldo L.
dc.description.committee	Whisler, Vesta R.
dc.description.committee	Cruz, Becky K. da
dc.description.degree	Ed.D.	en_US
dc.description.major	Education in Adult and Career Education	en_US