Cultural awareness among Queensland undergraduate occupational therapy students

Aim:  Australia's cultural diversity generates substantial challenges and implications for students and health-care professionals. This study investigated the cultural perceptions and self-rated level of cultural competence of undergraduate occupational therapy students in Queensland, Australia.
Results:  Two hundred and ninety-three students completed the Cultural Awareness Questionnaire. The findings indicated that the majority of students have a positive attitude towards cultural differences and influences on occupational therapy services. Students also recognised the importance of cultural awareness and highlighted the need for increased incorporation of cultural information and experience throughout the undergraduate course.
Conclusion:  The implications of this study are discussed with reference to the future academic planning of culturally sensitive occupational therapy course and fieldwork experiences.     

Success of non-traditional students in an undergraduate occupational therapy programme

An exit survey designed to examine the experiences of occupational therapy undergraduates was administered to 365 students in a four-year honours programme. The survey had a response rate of 51% (186). The survey was informed and supplemented by focus groups with international students and computer-mediated conferencing with community leaders from relevant ethnic minorities. Results showed that older students and those with non-traditional entry qualifications in this sample were as successful as school-leaver entrants (those with UK A Level qualifications). There were no significant differences between the support needs of the groups and previous experience did not have a beneficial or significant effect on support needs. Having to maintain part-time employment significantly increased the likelihood that students would consider withdrawing from the programme. For those who considered withdrawing but who went on to successful completion, the desire to practise occupational therapy following their successful experiences in the programme was a powerful motivator.     

Approaches to learning among occupational therapy undergraduate students: A cross-cultural study

Background: Students may adopt various approaches to academic learning. Occupational therapy students’ approaches to study and the impact of cultural context have not been formally investigated to date.

Aim: To examine the approaches to study adopted by undergraduate occupational therapy students from four different cultural settings.

Method: 712 undergraduate occupational therapy students (n?=?376 from Australia, n?=?109 from Hong Kong, n?=?160 from Norway and n?=?67 from Singapore) completed the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST). A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to compare the ASSIST subscales for the students from the four countries.

Results: Post-hoc comparisons using the Tukey HSD test indicated that the mean scores for the strategic approach were significantly different between Australia and the other three countries. The mean scores for the surface approach were significantly different between Australia and Hong Kong, and Hong Kong and Norway. There were no significant differences between the deep approach to studying between Australia, Norway, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Conclusion &; implications: Culture and educational context do appear to impact the approaches to study adopted by undergraduate occupational therapy students. Academic and practice educators need to be cognizant of what approaches to studying the students they work with adopt.     

Predictors of academic integrity in undergraduate and graduate-entry masters occupational therapy students

Background: Academic integrity is viewed as honest and responsible scholarship and the moral code of academia. Reported incidences of academic dishonesty among health professional students are widespread and may be an indicator of future unprofessional behaviour in the workplace. Aim: This study investigated the potential predictors of academic integrity in undergraduate and graduate-entry masters occupational therapy students. Method: Occupational therapy students from five universities (n = 701 participants; 609 undergraduates; 92 graduate-entry masters) were recruited. Data were collected via a two-part self-report questionnaire that included six standardised scales: Academic Dishonesty Scale; Academic Dishonesty in the Classroom Setting Scale; Academic Dishonesty in the Clinical/Practice Education Setting Scale; Moral Development Scale for Professionals; Academic Dishonesty Tendency Scale; and Perceived Academic Sources of Stress. Data analysis involved multi-linear regression analyses with bootstrapping. Result: Significant predictors of academic integrity in occupational therapy students included age, gender, grade point average, public meaning, moral practice, general tendency towards cheating, tendency towards dishonesty in the conduct and reporting of research findings, tendency towards not providing appropriate references and acknowledgements and pressures to perform well academically. Conclusion: These findings will assist educators in identifying vulnerable students potentially prone to academic integrity infringements and implementing proactive strategies with them. Further studies are recommended to explore further predictors of students’ academic integrity.     

Perceived stress in occupational therapy students

The purpose of this study was to examine perceived stress of entry-level master's occupational therapy (OT) students enrolled at a Texas university. A total of 29 students including nine men and 20 women participated in the study. Questionnaires and interviews were used for data collection. The participants were interviewed during the end of the first and second year of the entry-level master's programme in OT. Questionnaires, given at the same time, contained demographic data, open-end questions and force choice questions rated on a Likert scale. The results indicated that the majority of students (66.4%) rated their current level of stress as above average or the highest in their lives. The students expressed feelings of being overwhelmed, confused regarding course expectations and wanted more hands-on experience. When responding to how they managed stress, more than half of the students in the study took an active approach by utilizing exercise. Limitations of the study include using a non-standardized questionnaire, a small number of participants, and that the participants did not represent diversity and were for the most part Hispanic. It is recommended that future research address the cultural and generational issues that may affect perceptions of stress and how students cope with stress.     

Facilitating professional identify in occupational therapy students

The purpose of this study was to explore how a graduate course in occupational therapy theory can help prepare students to develop a professional identity. Thirty students participated in the study. The course included content on the history of occupational therapy, models of practice and the social, philosophical, political and economic factors that impact on occupational therapy. The students were divided into groups of four or five where they discussed issues assigned by the instructor. An electronic blackboard was used to share the discussion with the class. Surveys of the students' opinions were used to collect data on what the students viewed as the strengths and weaknesses of the course. The students felt that the class discussions were the strongest part of the course. They felt that the course improved their critical thinking and problem solving significantly. It was concluded from the results that the course facilitated their professional identity through the connection made between theory and practice. There is a recognized need to explore the issue of developing a professional identity in occupational therapy students through courses integrating philosophical topics and clinical practice. Specifically, it is recommended that further research be carried out in educational settings with larger samples, using comparison groups and other methodologies to evaluate the issue of facilitating professional identity in occupational therapy students.     

Learning style preferences of Australian occupational therapy students

Background/aim:  The learning styles and teaching implications for nursing and health science students have been well researched in other countries. Less research has considered the learning styles and implications for occupational therapy students. The current study examines the learning styles of occupational therapy students at one Australian university.
Methods:  The learning style preferences of first year undergraduate occupational therapy students ( n  = 120) were investigated. The students completed the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI) and Fleming's VARK (Visual, Aural, Read/Write, and Kinaesthetic) Questionnaire in the first weeks of their course.
Results:  The response rate was 97% ( n  = 116). Learning style preferences as determined by the Kolb LSI were spread over all four Kolb LSI learning styles with 'diverging' (30.2%) and 'converging' (28.4%) being the most preferred. Instructional preference as measured by the VARK Questionnaire was kinaesthetic learning (33%), followed by the multimodal preference VARK (18.1%). Visual and aural categories were these students' least preferred methods of learning.
Conclusions:  The results of the current study support previous research indicating a range of teaching methods should be utilised to accommodate for the variability of students' learning styles within educational programs. To accommodate the range of learning experiences encountered in fieldwork and later in professional practice, students need to strengthen their capacities to use a variety of learning styles. This paper proposes that student learning for evidenced-based practice be facilitated by a range of learning opportunities including practical experiences.     

Attitudes of entry level occupational therapy doctoral students towards inclusion for students with disabilities

Background/Aims:  The increasing popularity of inclusive education for students with disabilities and the attitudes towards it inevitably affect school-based occupational therapy practice. This survey study investigated the attitudes of entry-level occupational therapy doctoral (EOTD) students towards inclusive education and the effect of professional education on their perception.
Methods:  A total of 62 EOTD students responded to a self-developed questionnaire, Attitudes and Inclusive Education Survey , yielding a response rate of 91.2%.
Results:  Results of the study revealed that entry level occupational therapy doctoral students have positive attitudes towards inclusive education and believe that the inclusion movement has an inevitable impact on school-based occupational therapy practice. Professional education in occupational therapy might positively affect students' attitudes.
Conclusion:  Given the close association between one's attitude and behaviour, the findings of the study are particularly encouraging. Future research needs to further examine school-based occupational therapy practice in inclusive environments.     

Development of critical thinking in occupational therapy students

Do students who use the Guided Reciprocal Peer Questioning (GRPQ) method increase their ability to think critically? When compared to students in a traditional senior seminar course, the results of this study indicated no significant difference between the groups regarding changes in scores on the California Critical Thinking Skills Test. However, the students in the experimental group asked more questions labelled as critical thinking than the seminar control group. These findings suggest the use of the GRPQ may improve students' skills in asking questions that include application, analysis, and synthesis. Future research regarding the role of questions in stimulating critical analysis and the role of context in the learning environment is warranted. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

长学制医学生同理心现状调查及影响因素初探

摘要:目的　了解长学制医学生同理心水平的现状及可能的影响因素。方法　回译同理心量表（JSPE-S）结合相关调查问卷在374名长学制医学生中展开测评和调查,采用单因素和多因素相结合的统计方法进行分析。结果　研究对象同理心得分为112.6±14.5,同理心在性别、年级、室友关系、择业意向的不同水平间差异有统计学意义。男生同理心水平低于女生（t＝-2.335,P＝0.020）;大一学生的同理心水平最高,其次是大五、大四、大三、大二（t＝-2.272～-7.176,P≤0.024）;室友关系为“非常好”和“比较好”的学生同理心水平高于室友关系“一般”学生（t＝3.345～3.382,P＝0.001）;择业意向“以人群为导向” 的学生同理心水平低于择业意向“以技术为导向” 的学生（t＝3.155,P＝0.002）;对同理心得分影响前三位的变量分别是大二、室友关系为“非常好”和“比较好”。结论　合理的医学课程设置和营造良好的人际关系对医学生同理心的培养有积极作用。     

人文关怀在护生移情能力和专业认同间的中介效应

目的 了解在校本专科护生移情能力、人文关怀能力、专业认同的现状,分析3个变量间的关系,进一步探讨人文关怀对移情能力和专业认同间的中介效应。方法 选用特质移情量表、专业认同量表、人文关怀评价量表对某综合大学本专科护生共计375人进行调查。结果 移情能力各维度得分上情感维度分值最高,而认知维度分值最低;研究对象人文关怀总体得分处于低水平,具有高人文关怀能力的护生仅占3.3%;护生的专业认同程度一般;移情能力、人文关怀能力与专业认同3个变量间呈正相关（r值分别为0.212、0.216、0.472,且均P＜0.01 ）;人文关怀能力在移情能力对专业认同之中起显著部分中介效应,且中介效应占总效应的48.2%。结论 人文关怀能力在护生的移情能力和专业认同能力起到部分中介效应,移情能力可以直接影响专业认同,也可以通过人文关怀能力影响护生专业认同。     

Attitudes of occupational therapy students toward older people in Hong Kong

The main objectives of this survey were to examine the attitudes of Hong Kong occupational therapy students toward older people and their perception of working with older clients. A questionnaire, with 23 statements related to these two areas, was designed and distributed to all three-year occupational therapy students during the first week of the academic year. Results found that the third year students were more positive in perceiving older people and showed greater interest in working with older clients (F=7.681, p<0.001; and F=8.05, p<0.005 respectively). Similar results were also obtained in those students who had clinical experiences with older clients in the above two areas (t=2.40, p<0.01; and t=2.47, p<0.01). Hence, a positive relationship between the education programme (including subjects taught and fieldwork experience) and students' perception of older people was confirmed. However, the feedback mechanism of these two components in the teaching curriculum requires further research.     

A self-directed fieldwork program to provide alternative occupational health placements for undergraduate occupational therapy students

Second-year students of undergraduate occupational therapy at the University of Newcastle, NSW, undertake a fieldwork placement in occupational health. However, sufficient placements are not always available. A new fieldwork program attempts to meet this need. Three groups of students conducted risk assessments throughout the academic year, with generally positive results. Students enjoyed the self-directed nature of the placement and the opportunity to learn generic and occupational health related skills. Although there were some limitations to the program, we believe that fieldwork placements met the learning needs of second-year students and offered them an excellent opportunity to gain practical experience related to occupational health practice in prevention.