Chen, Christopher and Park, Sarah and Pradera, Chantylle and Tabora, Michael (2023) Enhancing knowledge and perceptions of environmental sustainability in occupational therapy. Masters thesis, Stanbridge University.
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Abstract
Occupational therapy (OT) may contribute positively to climate change mitigation by promoting eco-friendly strategies and adaptive practices for individuals with disabilities, fostering greater independence and reducing the overall environmental footprint. This study measured the effectiveness of a five week-long educational workshop and examined the perspectives of OT students concerning the subjects of global climate change and its potential impact on current occupations and activities for both OT practitioners and individuals in their daily lives. Students who were enrolled in a Master of Occupational Therapy (MSOT) or Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program volunteered to participate in the workshop, which consisted of informative educational modules and pamphlets aimed at enhancing their understanding of global climate change. We created and administered the Global Environmental Knowledge and Attitudes pre- and post- questionnaire to measure participants’ perceived knowledge and perspectives towards global environmental issues. In support of our hypothesis, the results of the Global Environmental Knowledge and Attitudes questionnaire yielded significant improvement in knowledge and perspectives among global climate issues. With p-values ranging from 0.005 to 0.245, significant statistical differences were found between the pre- and post- questionnaire in 9 of 14 surveyed areas for participants. Apart from gaining insight into their views on knowledge and perspectives about global environmental issues, we also collected written feedback regarding participants’ overall experiences in regard to the educational workshop. The common themes found in these responses encompassed the influence of global climate issues on the current field of OT, students' ability to envision applying the workshop's lessons to shape their future practices, and suggestions for enhancing the workshop itself. Our findings align with existing literature that supports the advantages of enhancing the knowledge and perspectives of OT students regarding global environmental issues, which can impact their future practice. The study's limitations had an impact on the formation of recommendations for future research including improvements for recruitment and retention, duration of the study length, and including a more vast and diverse population of participants.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | MSOTOC012.15 |
| Subjects: | R Medicine > RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology |
| Depositing User: | Kareena Yashko |
| Date Deposited: | 16 May 2024 19:19 |
| Last Modified: | 16 May 2024 19:19 |
| URI: | http://repository.stanbridge.edu/id/eprint/137 |
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