Value Acquisition in an Occupational Therapy Curriculum

Abstract

As the health care industry has become increasingly competitive, health care practitioners have become aware of the need to demonstrate that the occupational groups to which they belong perform unique and vital services to clients and patients. This awareness has fostered the development of a body of literature on professional identity and development that includes discussion of the role of values in defining and differentiating professional groups The purpose of this study was to begin exploration and discussion of the process by which students in one occupational therapy curriculum acquire and integrate professional values. The results of the study indicate that the acquisition of professional values may be a developmental process that is not complete at graduation from academic training. Additionally, the study indicates that value acquisition is a fertile area for research, one of tremendous importance for the education of future practitioners.

Educating occupational therapy students about psychiatric rehabilitation: A qualitative evaluation

“…They also discovered that their role-playing behaviours were often inconsistent with the principles of client involvement and choice that is inherent to psychiatric rehabilitation and also to the pro fessional values of the profession. This inconsistency is similar to the findings of DePoy and Merrill (1982) who studied the acquisition of professional val ues by occupational therapy students. They observed that students could articulate the values but observations of their practice and learning activities in the classroom revealed behaviours that were often at odds with the stated values.…”

Independence and Empowerment: Evidence from the Student Perspective

“…However, the notions of client-centred practice, which were articulated by Yerxa (1983) and refined and codified by Law et al (1995), were also apparent throughout the interviews and especially with the third year students. DePoy and Merrill (1988) found that their students could articulate the values of occupational therapy but could not put them into practice. The results of this research would appear to be the reverse of this.…”

“…(Participant 4,year 3. ) DePoy and Merrill (1988) found that students could articulate the values of occupational therapy, but were not always clear about its usefulness. The same may be said of the students in this study.…”

“…The focus of these values is on the uniqueness of the individual who has autonomy and choice and has the right to a fulfilling life. DePoy and Merrill (1988) attempted to explore value acquisition during the process of professional socialisation into occupational therapy. They found, not surprisingly, that on entry to their education and training, students were unable to articulate the values of their chosen profession.…”

Personality Type in Occupational Therapy Students: Implications for Teaching and Learning Strategies

“…While some type of similarity between occupational therapy faculty and students is likely, available evidence about allied health faculty and students indicates that clear variations in styles and even values exist (DePoy & Merrill, 1988;Ditiberio & Hammer, 1993;Freeman & Tijerina, 2000;Joyce-Nagata, 1996;Linares, 1999;Myers & McCaulley, 1985).…”