•  
  •  
 

Document Type (Journals)

Original Research

Abstract

Declining first-attempt National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy pass rates and concerns regarding student retention underscore the need to identify factors associated with occupational therapy student success. This scoping review aimed to map the current evidence on predictors of academic success, fieldwork performance, and licensure examination outcomes in occupational therapy programs. MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and OTSeeker were searched for peer-reviewed studies published between January 2016 and January 2026. Empirical studies examining predictors of occupational therapy student outcomes were included. Predictors were mapped using Astin’s Input-Environment-Output model and grouped into subthemes. Of 3,402 records, 25 studies met the inclusion criteria. Within the Input domain, strategic study approaches and in-program standardized scores consistently predicted academic and licensure success. In contrast, fieldwork performance was more strongly associated with non-cognitive psychosocial characteristics, such as resilience and emotional intelligence. Environment domain factors showed non-significant associations with performance. Grade point average alone is an insufficient predictor of success in occupational therapy education. Admissions and student support systems should incorporate broader assessments of learning strategies and non-cognitive factors. Further multi-institutional research is required to evaluate the impact of different training environments on student outcomes.

Biography

Sabina Khan, PhD, EdD, OTD, OTR/L, is an Assistant Professor at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, Miami, Florida campus. 

Leila Gojraty is an independent researcher with interests in health, education, and interdisciplinary scholarship.

Karen Park, OTD, OTR/L, is an Assistant Professor and Doctoral Capstone Coordinator at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, San Marcos, California campus.

Lesley Khan-Farooqi, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, is an Assistant Professor and Doctoral Capstone Coordinator at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, Austin, Texas campus.

Rayya Ibrahim-Muzaffarr, OTD, OTR/L, is contributing faculty with the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, Miami, Florida campus.

Sade Harris is a graduate occupational therapy student at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, Miami campus. 

Janay Jones is a graduate occupational therapy student at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, Miami, Florida campus. 

Llonique Jackson is a graduate occupational therapy student at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, Miami, Florida campus. 

Christianah Edema, MD is an independent researcher whose scholarly interests include systematic and scoping review methodologies, interdisciplinary research, and evidence synthesis.

Declaration of Interest

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Download

Share

COinS