Study title
Examining the hidden curriculum of occupational therapy practice education in the London NHS through an intersectional lens: perspectives of learners on full-time, undergraduate pre-registration programmes.
Approval has been granted for this study to be carried out between 21/03/2023 and 05/06/2024.
Invitation Paragraph
You have been invited to participate in a research study. It is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. You are welcome to take your time to decide if you wish to participate, and feel free to ask us if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information. Thank you for reading this.
What is the purpose of the study?
This study seeks to generate descriptions and understandings of the hidden curriculum of occupational therapy practice education in London through an intersectional lens.
The ‘hidden curriculum’ refers to ‘knowledge gained from inconsistencies between the formal and informal or implicit and explicit curriculum'. It is not intentionally taught (e.g., in formal university-based learning, policies and training offered at the practice education setting, and by various people including practice placement educators) but learnt through experiences that are inconsistent to what you have been taught.
Why have I been invited to participate?
You have been invited because you:
- Are a currently enrolled student OR recent graduate (one year or less) from a full-time undergraduate Occupational Therapy education programme in London.
- Have completed at least two placements in London-based NHS practice settings.
Do I have to take part?
The research team aim to recruit up to 40 participants with backgrounds that are as diverse as possible, across a varied range of London-based NHS practice education settings. Participation is entirely voluntary, and it is up to you solely to decide whether to take part. You do not have to decide immediately; you may keep a copy of this information sheet to keep and refer to it later if needed.
If you do decide to take part, you will be asked to sign a consent form and provide some demographic information which will help the research team determine your eligibility. Eligible participants invited to proceed are free to withdraw at any point before 5 June 2024 without having to give a reason. You do not have to answer any questions you are not comfortable with. If you do not want to take part in this study or withdraw at any point, please be assured that your rights, access to services and / or student status will not be affected in any way.
What will happen to me if I take part?
If you decide to participate, please input a digital signature through typing your full name and preferred contact details, then press the ‘submit’ button.
You will then be asked to submit demographic details including but not limited to your race and ethnicity, nationality, gender, religion, languages you communicate in, disability and neurodivergence, sexuality, age, and family background. You will also be given an opportunity to indicate a few preferences to select an interviewer profile whom you are comfortable to speak with. Members of the research team will get in touch with eligible participants to schedule an interview at a time convenient to you via MS Teams or Zoom. You will also be sent the interview questions in advance. Each interview is estimated to last for a total duration of 60-90 minutes. You will be asked to share your experiences of learning on practice placements.
What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?
Participation could potentially involve recall of unpleasant memories and cause psychological distress. If the interviewer notices any distress through the course of the interview, they will offer you the opportunity to take a break, postpone or terminate. Please feel empowered to take up their offer. A debrief form will be emailed to you after the interview alongside details of support services you might be eligible to access, as well as Academic Researcher contact details should you decide to schedule a debrief.
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
All individuals who have participated in the interview will be offered a £25 voucher as a thank-you gift. Your contributions to this study may help to advance knowledge around how to better facilitate an inclusive learning environment in practice placement settings to support occupational therapy learners of diverse backgrounds.
What if something goes wrong?
It is very unlikely that anything will go wrong, but if it does, please feel free to contact the academic researchers named on this PIS. Complaints can be directed to the Chair of the College for Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences Research Ethics Committee, see details below.
If you are harmed by taking part in this research project, there are no special compensation arrangements. If you are harmed due to someone’s negligence, then you may have grounds for a legal action, but you may have to pay for it.
Will my taking part in this study be kept confidential?
All information which is collected about you during the research will be kept strictly confidential for 10 years in line with Brunel University London data retention policies. Our procedures for handling, processing, storage and destruction of data are compliant with the Data Protection Act 2018. Any information about you which leaves the University will have all your identifying information removed. With your permission, anonymised data will be stored on a secure, password-protected Brunel OneDrive folder and may be used in future research, conference presentations or journal articles – you can indicate whether or not you give permission for this by way of the Consent Form.
If during the research evidence of harm or misconduct come to light, then it may be necessary to break confidentiality. We will inform you at the time if we think we need to do this, and let you know what will happen next. Student researchers have agreed a potential course of action under supervision of academic researchers, and academic researchers will make themselves available to be contacted while the interviews are conducted.
Will I be recorded, and how will the recording be used?
The interviews will be audio-recorded and transcribed afterwards. The recordings will be destroyed once the interviews have been transcribed and the accuracy of the transcription has been confirmed.
What will happen to the results of the research study?
They will be submitted as part of research projects for postgraduate degree qualifications and may also be reported at conferences or in scientific journals. The anonymized research data may also be shared with other researchers for further analysis, but at no point will any uniquely identifiable data be shared. If you take part in this research, you can obtain a copy of the publication by contacting the academic researchers indicated below..
Who is organising and funding the research?
This research is organised by the Division of Occupational Therapy under the College of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences at Brunel University London. It is funded by the Elizabeth Casson Trust.
What are the indemnity arrangements?
Brunel University London provides appropriate insurance cover for research which has received ethical approval.
Who has reviewed the study?
This study has been reviewed by the Research Ethics Committee of the College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences.
Research Integrity
Brunel University London is committed to compliance with the Universities UK Research Integrity Concordat. You are entitled to expect the highest level of integrity from the researchers during the course of this research.
Researcher names and details:
MSc student team: Amy Middleton 2131140@brunel.ac.uk | Darmoye McCorley 2210307@brunel.ac.uk | Elizabeth Olowookere 2032391@brunel.ac.uk | Julie Uptmore 2258885@brunel.ac.uk | Linda Lapenga 2208091@brunel.ac.uk
Academic Research Team: Jou Yin, Teoh jouyin.teoh@brunel.ac.uk | Geeta Ludhra geeta.ludhra@brunel.ac.uk | Sofia Barbosa Bouças sofia.barbosaboucas@brunel.ac.uk
For complaints, Chair of the Research Ethics Committee:
College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences Research Ethics Committee, Chair – Professor Louise Mansfield (Louise.Mansfield@brunel.ac.uk)
You may save a copy of the information sheet and consent form to keep. Thank you for reading this document.
16.16.
Questions about your practice placement experiences.
Required