Underperformance and failure in allied health practice placements: a scoping review of student performance experiences

Abstract

Underperformance and failure in allied health practice placements are under researched. This scoping review aimed to describe the experiences of allied health students and clinical educators relating to underperformance and failure on practice placement, supporting health professional training programmes to provide quality learning experiences. A scoping review research methodology including 22 allied health disciplines was adopted. Forty-four relevant articles were identified and analysed using Occupational Adaptation (OA) theory to generate five themes: Interactions are contextual; It’s OK to fail; Clinical educators as gatekeepers; The impact of power; and Convergence. Understanding underperformance and failure in allied health placement education will enhance insight of this complex phenomenon by incorporating the experiences of students and educators from multiple allied health disciplines. The application of theory offers a critical perspective by synthesising the existing literature and delving into the influencing factors, potentially shifting the deficit discourse that often positions students as the problem.