Document Type (Journals)
Educational Innovations
Abstract
Defining and measuring "professionalism" in academic occupational therapy (OT) programs is a highly interpretative and formidable task, as evidenced in the literature and revised language in the 2023 ACOTE® Standards. Within the context of a university assessment workshop, a team of OT educators and students used an occupation- and strengths-based lens to consider “professional identity.” The team subsequently developed an innovative criterion-referenced, growth-tracking professionalism tool (“The Professional Identity Evaluation [PIE] Tool”) for use in didactic OT education and advisement. The team initiated a multi-year trial of the PIE Tool in periodic advisement and gathered students' perspectives of (1) the use of the new tool compared to a previous departmental professional behavior checklist, (2) the tool’s relevance, usefulness, and practicality, and (3) the tool’s ability to increase awareness of personal strengths as an aspect of professionalism. Thematic analysis revealed an overall positive view of the PIE Tool as a measure of multi-dimensional professional identity formation. Students (N = 42) appreciated how the tool linked their personal strengths with OT-specific professionalism expectations, increased their awareness of strengths as one “facet” of current and future professional identity, stimulated strengths-based introspection, and was optimized through advising excellence. Importantly, students provided examples of professional identity formation linked to the occupational dimensions of not only doing, but being, becoming, and belonging. Used in academic advisement to address program professionalism standards, the PIE Tool can potentially shift the paradigm from unidimensional tracking of observable professional behaviors toward reflective, strengths-based professional identity development in OT students.
Biography
Dr. Cardin, OTD, OTR/L, BCP, CNT is a Professor of Occupational Therapy whose scholarly interests include the theoretical foundations for practice, the science of occupation, infant-mother co-occupation, professionalism constructs, and research which enhances students’ capacity to function as occupation-centered and knowledge-translating change agents. Her strengths include Learner, Ideation, Futuristic, Achiever, and Activator.
Dr. Boehne, OTD, OTR/L is a Clinical Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy whose scholarly interests include low vision rehabilitation, trauma-informed care, clinical education of occupational therapy students, professional identity development of entry-level therapists, growth mindsets, mindfulness and mental health topics. Her strengths include Input, Learner, Harmony, Discipline, and Consistency.
Dr. Corro, OTD, OTR/L, BCP is an Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy whose scholarly research interests include explorations on occupation-based assessment and interventions among pediatric populations, motor learning theory applications with occupation-based conceptual practice, experiential learning impact on course curriculum, and student professional identity formation. Her strengths include Relator, Learner, Responsibility, Futuristic, Achiever.
Declaration of Interest
*The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose Copyright statement: Gallup®, CliftonStrengths® and the 34 CliftonStrengths Theme Names are trademarks of Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. Some content used in this article is copyright © Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. The non-Gallup information you are receiving has not been approved and is not sanctioned or endorsed by Gallup in any way. Opinions, views and interpretations of the information presented are solely the beliefs of the authors
Recommended Citation
Cardin, A. D., Boehne, T. L., & Corro, N. (2025). From Measuring Professional Behaviors to Developing Professional Identity: Use of the PIE Tool in Occupational Therapy Education. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 9 (4). Retrieved from https://encompass.eku.edu/jote/vol9/iss4/20
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