Characterization of graduation final paper work in occupational therapy of a public university

Abstract

Introduction: The final paper has the purpose of bringing the student closer to the practice of research and experience with the ethical aspects which are relevant to intellectual property and research with human beings. Its elaboration facilitates the investigation of a problem and the elaboration of solutions that consolidate the knowledge acquired during the course. Objective: Featuring the graduation final paper in occupational therapy of a public university. Method: This is descriptive, qualitative-quantitative research that used data which were collected in 154 documents, as well as in questionnaires answered by 24 advisors. Results: The works were mostly literature review or documentary research, with a qualitative approach, which used the field notebook as a data collection instrument. The most studied areas were the Hospital Context and Family Health, in works related to the themes experienced by the students in projects of extension, research, disciplines or internship. The orientations were carried out only by the advisor, within their research areas, and the most found problem was the difficulty in the student's writing process. The examination boards were made up of effective or temporary teachers from the own course, who signaled the methodology as the main failure of the work. Conclusion: The data showed that students need more opportunities to exercise and elaborate a scientific text before the moment of the final paper creation and those teachers need to support their pupils in the search for more diversified research objects, instruments, and methodologies.