Change in Perception of Cultural Self-Efficacy Among Graduate Students in an Occupational Therapy Academic Program

Document Type (Journals)

Original Research

Abstract

Culturally responsive care is essential to improving healthcare access and outcomes; however, the extent to which occupational therapy students are prepared to deliver such care remains unclear. Experiential learning embedded within occupational therapy curricula, including fieldwork, is considered a key pathway for developing cultural self-efficacy. This quantitative study examined changes in cultural self-efficacy among graduate occupational therapy students across didactic and experiential learning experiences within a Master of Occupational Therapy program. Using the Multidisciplinary Healthcare Provider version of the Transcultural Self-Efficacy Tool, perceived self-efficacy across the cognitive, practical, and affective domains was assessed across three cohort-based administration periods aligned with three Level I fieldwork rotations. Participants included graduate occupational therapy students at a Midwestern Catholic university. Kruskal–Wallis and post hoc Mann–Whitney U tests revealed statistically significant increases in cognitive and practical self-efficacy across cohorts (p < .0001). No statistically significant changes were observed in the affective domain. Findings suggest that curricular progression supports growth in cultural knowledge and applied skills, while highlighting the need for intentional strategies to promote affective domain development.

Biography

Emma Edwards, MOT, OTR/L, CAPS is an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at Saint Louis University. She integrates her clinical expertise into teaching, supporting students’ professional development and emphasizing evidence-based practice and client-centered care to prepare the next generation of occupational therapy practitioners.

Selena E. Washington, PhD, MSPH, OTR/L is an Associate Professor at Saint Louis University and Director of the Active Aging Research Collective. Her research focuses on aging, functional mobility, falls prevention, and dementia risk in adults with Down syndrome. She advances health equity through interprofessional education, community partnerships, and mentoring diverse students.

Zidong Zhang, PhD, MPH, MS is a Biostatistician at the AHEAD Institute, Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He specializes in biostatistics and epidemiology, collaborating on multidisciplinary clinical and translational research projects. His expertise includes advanced statistical modeling, study design, and quantitative methods to improve health outcomes across diverse populations.

Declaration of Interest

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Recommended Citation

Edwards, E., Washington, S. E., & Zhang, Z. (2026). Change in Perception of Cultural Self-Efficacy Among Graduate Students in an Occupational Therapy Academic Program. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 10 (2). Retrieved from https://encompass.eku.edu/jote/vol10/iss2/10