Role Perception and Professional Identity of Occupational Therapists Working in Education Systems: Perception du rôle et identité professionnelle des ergothérapeutes qui travaillent dans les systèmes scolaires.
Liron Lamash, Yael Fogel
PMID 33858219WHAT IT FOUND
Occupational therapists in education systems gave teamwork with educational staff a score of 3.26 on a 1 to 7 scale, yet this teamwork was the strongest area associated with professional identity.
Seniority in education and feeling professionally capable also added to that identity.
Key findings
01Teamwork with educational staff had a score of 3.26 on a 1 to 7 scale, but it was the most influential area linked to professional identity.
02Occupational therapists with advanced academic degrees had higher mean role-perception scores than those with basic training only, 5.02 versus 4.50, and higher mean professional-identity scores, 3.32 versus 2.98.
03The adapted Professional Identity Scale items hung together well overall, alpha .94, but the professional reputation items hung together poorly, alpha .34.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This was a cross-sectional survey using self-reported questionnaires, so it cannot show that teamwork or seniority caused professional identity. Participants were recruited through online advertisements and ministry supervisors, so they may not represent all occupational therapists working in education systems. The sample was 98% women, so the study could not compare men and women. The RP-OT was newly developed by the authors, and the connection to the profession area had moderate internal consistency, alpha .64. The PIS was adapted from a teacher scale, and its professional reputation area had low internal consistency, alpha .34. The supplied text did not report funding or conflict-of-interest declarations.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that improving teamwork will improve professional identity. This study measured associations at one time point, not an intervention, and the teamwork score was a self-reported perception.