The Perception of Students and Lecturer of Occupational therapy on the Importance of Involvement in Research Projects: The MIND & GAIT Project

Involvement in research is increasingly playing a crucial role in the training of higher education students, however, there isn’t much found on the literature on this particular subject. The present study aims to gauge the participants’ perception of pedagogical and scientific contributions in the development of research projects, specifically in the elaboration of a Cognitive Stimulation Program. Procedures followed a qualitative approach trough an exploratory descriptive case study research. For data collection, a semi-structured interview, a focus group, with key informants, and a questionnaire, were used for a set of participants (students and a professor) of the third year of Occupational Therapy Degree of the Polytechnic of Leiria. Data was processed resorting to content analysis according to Bardin and supported by WebQDA software. There was evidence of the pedagogical contributions, with perceived effective learning and scientific advancement, namely in the area of cognitive stimulation, particularly in the development of clinical reasoning. The students’ practical involvement in research projects enhanced learning and knowledge acquisition, as well the advancement of research practice