Author ORCID Identifier
Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Type
PhD
College
College of Applied Human Sciences
Department
Education
Committee Chair
Erin McHenry-Sorber
Committee Member
Nate Sorber
Committee Member
John Campbell
Committee Member
Alexandra Hollo
Abstract
This comparative multi-case study examined the unseen processes behind clinical placement planning in allied health education. Clinical placements are essential to preparing students in speech-language pathology (SLP), occupational therapy (OT), and physical therapy (PT); however, little research has explored how Directors and Coordinators of Clinical Education (DCE/CCEs) navigate the complex decision-making involved in planning these experiences. Guided by Greco and Myers’ (2024) framework conceptualizing placement planning as an interaction between process and experience, this study explored how coordinators described their planning processes and the role of student-centeredness within them.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 DCEs/CCEs representing SLP, OT, and PT programs across multiple regions of the United States. Using a clustered case study approach, each discipline was analyzed as a cluster, with individual participants representing cases within each cluster. Participant narratives were examined alongside relevant documents and artifacts to provide contextual depth and triangulation. Findings revealed that when structural supports were embedded within the role, coordinators were more likely to describe placement planning as meaningful and fulfilling. In contrast, a lack of structural support contributed to experiences characterized as convoluted, frustrating, and highly stressful. Findings also demonstrated that student-centeredness functioned as a central and non-negotiable feature of placement planning across disciplines. Overall, results highlighted clinical placement planning as a dynamic and highly responsive process requiring continual adaptation to disruption.
Recommended Citation
Hutchinson, Almara Jane Sidney, "The Hidden Process of Student Placements: Perspectives from SLP, OT, and PT Coordinators" (2026). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 13236.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/13236
Included in
Educational Leadership Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, Occupational Therapy Commons, Other Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, Other Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons, Physical Therapy Commons