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Does Integrating Parental Involvement In Therapy Improve Behavior In Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?, Pamela Lassiter

Theses and Dissertations

The research problem was the lower success rate of interventions for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) because of the exclusion of parents in the counseling process. The purpose of the research was to explore if integrating parent involvement in therapy improved the behaviors in children with ADHD. The study occurred at a private mental health facility that used cognitive behavior therapy and behavior interventions with the children.

The study was guided by the phenomenological qualitative research design. Ten single parents of male children, ages 4 to 10 with ADHD, participated in this study. Parents were selected using a …

Fairness: Examining Support And Resources Available To Respondents In Title Ix Cases, Emanuel Jerome Oliver

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored how higher education institutions develop Title IX procedures to ensure respondents receive fair treatment from the outset of the adjudication process. It also examined how colleges and universities provide resources and support to respondents throughout the Title IX process. The study used semi structured interviews with Title IX Coordinators at various higher education institutions to understand how they have developed practices to support respondents.

Findings revealed that higher education institutions have developed various methods to support respondents in the Title IX process. The goal of the Title IX process is to ensure that respondents receive the …

Estudio Sobre La Influencia Del Estrés Tóxico En La Salud Física Y Emocional De Estudiantes Universitarios Puertorriqueños Entre Las Edades De 18 A 25 Años, Coral M. Flores Correa

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada tuvo como propósito examinar la influencia del estrés tóxico en la salud física y emocional de jóvenes universitarios puertorriqueños entre 18 y 25 años. El desconocimiento sobre la influencia de estos elementos en la salud representa un área de oportunidad en el campo de la educación en salud para mejorar los procesos de atención. La realización de la presente investigación, por lo tanto, establece un punto de partida para la comprensión de la complejidad y los efectos a corto y largo plazo de este tipo de estrés.

La investigación utilizó un enfoque cuantitativo con un diseño no …

Human Resources Professionals’ Perceptions About Employment And Retention Of Women With A Substance Abuse History: A Qualitative Study, Mary Harris

Theses and Dissertations

This study was an exploration of human resources professionals’ (HRP) perceptions about employment and retention of women with a substance abuse disorder history. Job embeddedness was used as a critical lens to understand HRPs’ motivations for their actions and to gain insight into their choices.

A generic qualitative methodology was used to understand the complexity of HRPs’ experiences in employing and retaining women with substance use disorder history. The data-collection method consisted of semi structured interviews of 10 HRPs from midsize organizations in the Southeast Florida region.

The results of the thematic analysis revealed 10 themes that addressed the research …

The Influence Of Haitian Immigrants’ Culture On Academic Outcomes At Elementary Level, Tonnette Samuels

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored how teachers, parents, and administrators perceived the influence of Haitian cultural values and practices on the organizational culture and academic outcomes of elementary students in a southern United States county. Guided by the resource-based view theory, which frames culture as an intangible organizational asset, the study used interpretative phenomenological analysis to examine the lived experiences of five participants, including three teachers, one parent, and one school administrator. Data were collected through semi structured interviews and analyzed to develop personal experiential themes for each participant and group experiential themes across cases.

The study’s findings generated four group …

Crisis In Care: A Qualitative Study To Understand The Factors That Influence High Turnover Among Florida’S Child Welfare Case Managers, Latasha R. Harris

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation explores the factors influencing child welfare case manager turnover in Florida and how child welfare case managers are addressing those factors. National data has underscored the severity of this issue highlighting high turnover and low staff retention are attributed to work demand instability, chronic stressors and undermine the effectiveness of child welfare services.

This qualitative study investigates child welfare case managers’ perspectives on key influencing factors that determine child welfare case manager retention or influence their decision to leave. Guided by Motivation and Resiliency Theories, this qualitative descriptive study investigates child welfare case manager perspectives of why …

Toxic Culture In All-Star Cheerleading: A Qualitative Research Study, Jodie Fairbank

Theses and Dissertations

All-star cheerleading emerged in the late 1980s. It has grown exponentially over the last thirty years. Today, over 250,000 individuals participate in competitive cheer. The nature of this sport pushes elite athletes and has organizations worldwide. It incorporates stunting, dance, tumbling, and performance. In recent years, there have been numerous news stories, documentaries, and court cases that indicate that, behind all the glitter and excitement of the sport, there may be many instances of a toxic culture that is allowing the youth who participate in this sport to be susceptible to environments that may be detrimental to them in many …

Can’T Sue A Movement: Greenpeace’S $667 Million Crisis Narrative, Trevor Hart

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In March of 2025, the environmental group Greenpeace was found liable for nearly $667 million to Energy Transfer, the oil company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The lawsuit was widely regarded as a SLAPP, or Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, because it weaponized civic torts to infringe upon Greenpeace’s First Amendment rights. The $667 million verdict is an unprecedented figure in SLAPP litigation–it’s enough to bankrupt Greenpeace in the United States and “chill” democratic participation. This thesis used a hybrid blame-renewal crisis narrative framework to analyze Greenpeace’s public response to lawsuits against a backdrop of cultural and political economic …

How Do Students Come Across Occupational Therapy And What Makes Them Want To Study Occupational Therapy? Implications For Recruitment, Mette Eg Bruun, Mette Krohn, Sofie Balle Riis, Lene Tanggaard, Tina Helle

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Recruitment challenges in occupational therapy education vary globally. To address workforce needs, it is necessary to examine the factors influencing students’ decisions to pursue occupational therapy. This study investigated how students discovered occupational therapy, what they found appealing about the profession, the influence of study location, and demographic differences between students enrolled in an urban university city and a rural district. Three focus group interviews with 15 occupational therapy students were conducted, supplemented by descriptive statistics comparing student characteristics across urban and rural programs. Qualitative analysis identified five categories: (1) discovering occupational therapy by chance, (2) the power of occupational …

Recalibrating Readiness: Pandemic Impact On Ot Admissions, Bridget J. Hahn, Kajol Patel, Jacquelyn A. Siegel, Jessica Rappaport, Michelle Mcfall-Johnsen, Kia A. Burks

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This study explored shifts in occupational therapy applicant characteristics across two distinct time periods: pre- and post-COVID-19, while also describing admissions policy changes implemented by an urban Midwestern Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program. Retrospective data from admissions records from 917 applicants (2017 – 2024) were grouped into pre-COVID (2017 – 2020) and post-COVID (2021 – 2024). Academic, pre-professional, interview, and underrepresented minority (URM) status was compared using independent t-tests and chi-square analyses. Cumulative grade point average (GPA) and research experience increased post-pandemic, while pre-professional experience and interview performance declined. The proportion of URM applicants rose significantly from 8.1% pre-COVID to …

Sketching Ot Theory: The Meaning Of Visual Notetaking To Learning Occupational Therapy Theory For Ot Students, Julia Henderson, Delainey Ebel, Ilona Jones, Katie Lee Bunting

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Visual notetaking is a creative learning strategy used in health professions education. This study defines it as any form of notes, recorded using physical or electronic means, that are not solely text-based, but incorporate some degree of color, symbolism, shapes, diagrams, and/or other visual imagery to represent concepts. While no previous studies have investigated visual notetaking in the context of occupational therapy education, occupational therapy’s prevalent use of visual representations to convey complex, relational, and holistic theoretical concepts suggests that visual notetaking may have potential as an inherently aligned and effective pedagogical approach for teaching occupational therapy theory. Our study …

Comparing Pre-Occupational Therapy Student Intercultural Competence Through Local And Global Service Learning, Leah S. Dunn, Diane Ceo-Difrancesco

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This study examined undergraduate pre-occupational therapy student intercultural competence (ICC) development through a local or global service-learning experience. Using a mixed-method approach, responses to the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence among Healthcare Professions-Student Version (IAPCC-SV) were compared as well as a content analysis of student essays before and after the service-learning experience to determine ICC growth. Both groups demonstrated ICC growth, but global participants continued their development past the experience. Student essays revealed themes of dissonance, reflection, transformation, and advocacy, with local students focusing on clients and global students adopting broader advocacy goals. Immersive experiences in occupational …

Study Approaches And Mindset In Predicting Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Student Well-Being: A Multiple Linear Regression Analysis, Elena Wong Espiritu, Katie Eison, Maya Pakulski, Alandry Vise, Alexandria West, Ava Woessner

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Academic factors (grades, assignments, study approaches, study strategies, rigorous curriculums, workload) and mindset factors (academic resilience, educational self-efficacy) are known individual factors that impact student well-being. However, if and how these factors in combination predict well-being in occupational therapy students has not been explored. The purpose of this study was to explore study approaches and mindset factors in predicting entry-level occupational therapy student well-being. Entry-level occupational therapy students (master’s and doctorate) from across the United States were recruited (N = 305). Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data was collected using four standardized assessments and analyzed using a multiple linear regression. …

Perceived Impacts Of Confucianism On Placement Experiences Of Hong Kong Pre-Registration Occupational Therapy Students In The United Kingdom, Hin Yuet Li, Sarah Louise Mcginley, Rachel Dadswell, Rachel Houweling

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This study explored the views of Hong Kong pre-registration occupational therapy (OT) students in the United Kingdom (UK) about how Chinese culture influenced their practice placement experiences. Students from diverse cultural backgrounds may encounter various challenges during OT placements, but little is known about how OT students from Hong Kong—where Confucianism traditionally shapes workplace expectations and the hierarchical teacher‑student relationship—experience placements in the UK. Two online focus groups to collect qualitative data were conducted in November 2022 with four participants who were UK-based OT students from Hong Kong (N=8 in total), two facilitators (OT students from Hong Kong, based in …

From Classroom To Care: A Pilot Level I Fieldwork Experience Building Acute Care Self-Efficacy, Hannah Y. Oldenburg, Jennifer Bergstrom, Traci Kruse, Tamra Trenary, Corey Mcgee

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Level I fieldwork provides an opportunity for occupational therapy students to be exposed to the occupational therapy framework and process across various practice settings. This study addresses a gap in the literature regarding introductory fieldwork experiences for occupational therapy students in complex medical settings, specifically acute care. Researchers implemented a seven-week Level I fieldwork experience at two Midwest trauma centers, utilizing a mixed-methods, two-cohort design with 12 students and 16 practitioners. The program featured a blended Level I fieldwork supervision model, combining faculty-led and traditional on-site supervision. Over the seven-week period, students showed significant improvement in their perceived self-efficacy regarding …

Examining The Relationship Between Musculoskeletal Knowledge And Fieldwork Performance Among Canadian Student Occupational Therapists, Madelyn Walther, Viansa Guiotto, Rhona Anderson, Emily S. Ho

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

To evaluate the physical aspects of occupational performance, occupational therapists must understand the anatomical structure and function of the body. As such, occupational therapy academic programs must provide sufficient foundational musculoskeletal (MSK) education to prepare student occupational therapists for successful clinical practice. There is a paucity of research on MSK educational needs, and the relationship between student occupational therapists’ MSK academic outcomes and fieldwork performance. This study examined the relationship between MSK anatomy course academic grades and fieldwork performance indicators on the Competency-Based Fieldwork Evaluation for Occupational Therapists (CBFE-OT) of student occupational therapists. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was conducted …

Effectiveness Of The Aota Fieldwork Educator Certificate Program: A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Participants, Susan M. Higgins, Tiffany Benaroya

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Fieldwork educators are essential in educating future occupational therapy practitioners, yet they are often not formally trained for this role. Fieldwork educator preparation programs may help strengthen educator effectiveness; however, limited research has examined the impact of these programs. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Fieldwork Educator Certificate Program (FWECP) is a two-day professional development course designed to enhance the supervisory and teaching competencies of fieldwork educators. This study examined the effectiveness of the FWECP from the perspective of participants who completed the program between June 2019 and June 2024. An anonymous retrospective survey was distributed to past participants, yielding …

Generative Artificial Intelligence Application In Occupational Therapy Education, James Wersal, Justin Mason, Mary Shotwell

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is a developing technology within Higher Education Institutions with substantial potential to transform teaching pedagogy, improve individualized learning experiences, and automate administrative functions. GenAI has the potential to bring significant enhancements by advancing adaptive learning interfaces, customized learning materials, and automate administrative support. Despite these benefits, ethical considerations, data privacy, and the risk of over-reliance should be considered prior to using GenAI. The authors highlight how GenAI is supported by adult learning theory and provide practical strategies for incorporating GenAI in the occupational therapy curricula and to support the faculty role. The impact of GenAI on …

The Psychosocial Occupational Therapy Competency Assessment, Revised- Pot-Ca(R), Jenna C. Yeager, Derek Piggott

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The Psychosocial Occupational Therapy Competency Assessment (POT-CA) was originally published in 2017 as a framework for assessing student development of foundational skills in evaluation, clinical reasoning, and therapeutic interactions in an occupational therapy psychosocial theory and practice course. The COVID-19 global pandemic necessitated the adaptation of this final student competency assessment for virtual administration. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) was selected as the performance-based element of the competency assessment in lieu of the previously required Allen Cognitive Level Screen (ACLS-5), which was unavailable to students due to pandemic restrictions. The purpose of this article is to present an analysis …

Development Of A Comprehensive Practical Exam (Cope) Assessment Process For Occupational Therapy Doctoral Students, Robert E. Larson, Cynthia Tiongco, Sandra M. Whisner, Laurie D. Stelter, Laura Alexander, Megan R. Taylor, Molly Setliff, Paula Perkins, Belinda D. Alexander, James Matthew D. Geddie

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Measures are needed to ensure students are adequately prepared for clinical experiences. A Comprehensive Practical Exam (CoPE) was developed based on high fidelity simulation and an Observed Structured Clinical Examination format to assess readiness for Level II fieldwork. Teams of faculty developed multiple case simulations with consistent components across the cases for first- and second-year student cohorts. Rubrics were developed for grading student performance on the simulations with categories required for Level I fieldwork completion as well as other components required for success on Level II fieldwork. The CoPE included three components: chart review/preparation, client interaction, and documentation. The first-year …

Hands-On: Integrating Active Learning Into An Upper Extremity Occupational Therapy Elective, Jennifer Radziak, Katie Jones, Kelsey Picha

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

In an effort to provide students with advanced clinical practice skills, several occupational therapy elective courses were developed. The current article describes an educational innovation that involved an in-person elective course for graduate second year Master of Science in Occupational Therapy students that focused on the upper extremity. The course was team-taught, promoted active learning, and used unique activities to engage students in the learning process. Relevant evidence-based practice literature and clinical guidelines were incorporated into the course to teach students about the treatment of upper extremity conditions. The active learning strategies implemented in the course included fresh donor dissection, …

Service-Learning Clinics: A Pathway To Improve Student Learning Outcomes, Ranelle M. Nissen, Whitney Lucas Molitor, Allison J. Naber

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This article examines the innovative approach of the Community Integrated Learning (CIL) program, with a particular focus on its application within a rural context. Unlike traditional student-run clinics, the CIL focuses on student learning through hands-on experiences with community volunteers rather than providing direct rehabilitative care. The program, linked to adult and pediatric assessment courses, allows second-year doctoral students to develop and implement intervention plans tailored to the needs and interests of community volunteers. This model addresses the challenges of limited resources and client recruitment in rural areas by emphasizing student professional development and clinical reasoning skills. Data collected from …

Virtual Reality’S Impact On Occupational Therapy Student Confidence And Fieldwork Performance, Kayla Collins, Kirsten Davin, Marian Gillard

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapy students often experience confidence gaps as they transition from academic preparation to real-world practice settings. This quasi-experimental study investigated whether the integration of immersive virtual reality (VR) simulations into the didactic portion of an Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) program affected student confidence and subsequent Level II fieldwork performance. Data from 65 students across three cohorts were analyzed using the Student Confidence Questionnaire (SCQ) and the Fieldwork Performance Evaluation (FWPE). While no significant differences were observed in total confidence or fieldwork scores, students who completed VR simulations reported significantly higher confidence in five subdomains: adaptability, risk-taking, supervision, clinical practice, …

Teaching Occupation Using Subject-Centered Approaches With An Evidence Informed Instructional Design Model, Sheama Krishnagiri, Pollie Price, Steven D. Taff

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Teaching and learning the core subject of occupation is of singular importance in occupational therapy professional programs. Occupation is a threshold concept for occupational therapy and presents challenges for students to learn about it effectively. This paper presents an innovative instructional approach to teaching this concept accompanied by an example. The proposed instructional approach uses a unique combination of ideas that tie together the Subject-Centered Integrated Learning Model for Occupational Therapy education, the principles of occupation-centered education, threshold concepts and transformative learning, all framed within the 5E Instructional Model. This approach to designing instruction offers a structured way to address …

Attribution Theory In Occupational Therapy Clinical Education: A Scoping Review, Julia Shin, Anna Domina, Ashley Fecht, Lisa Bagby, Raigan Borsh

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Intrapersonal and interpersonal skills are essential for occupational therapy students’ professional development and fieldwork success. Despite their importance, these competencies are often ambiguously defined, inconsistently assessed, and underemphasized in curricula. Attribution theory, a well-established framework from social psychology, provides a valuable lens for examining how students’ causal attributions influence their motivation, behavior, and professional growth. This scoping review aimed to synthesize the application of attribution theory in health professions education by characterizing attribution-focused interventions, assessments, and student outcomes. Following Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) five-stage framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we conducted systematic searches across Academic Premier, CINAHL, ERIC, OTSeeker, and PubMed …

Building Self-Perceived Confidence Through Occupational Therapy And Nursing Student Peer Teaching, Jennifer A. Tokash, Melissa Nolan, Jamie Bittiger, Jessica Wagoner, John Damiao, Michelle Lopez

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Peer teaching, which is student-to-student instruction, has emerged as a promising pedagogical strategy in higher education, yet it remains underexplored in health professions curricula. While traditional professor-led instruction remains the predominant model, peer teaching may offer comparable or enhanced outcomes, particularly in fostering students’ self-perceived confidence and active learning. This study examined the impact of peer teaching on nursing students’ self-perceived confidence in applying ergonomic principles and performing safe patient handling techniques, as instructed by occupational therapy students. Additionally, the study assessed occupational therapy students’ self-perceived confidence in measuring vital signs following instruction provided by nursing students. Using a quasi-experimental …

A Scholarly Exploration Of Teaching Strategies For Learning About Pediatric Sleep, Laura J. Carpenter, Amanda M. Buono

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The occupation of sleep is an area of occupational therapy practice for which many practitioners report a lack of confidence and/or knowledge to properly address. The current study addresses this concern by studying the effects of a learning module on students’ confidence and knowledge to address pediatric sleep. The study used a pre-test, post-test non-experimental design and collected survey responses from 48 entry-level occupational therapy students in three different programs. The lecture portion of the module included content about both assessing and intervening, while the case study emphasized intervention-planning only. Results indicated significant gains in knowledge overall (z = …

Entry Requirements As Predictors Of Early Academic Success And Student Performance In Undergraduate Occupational Therapy Education, Eileen Du Plooy, Daleen Casteleijn, Denise Franzsen, Gopika Ramkilawon

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The selection process for health sciences programs such as occupational therapy is complex, involving a combination of academic and non-academic selection criteria as entry requirements. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of entry requirement variables on academic performance during the first and second year of an undergraduate occupational therapy program in South Africa. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was utilized, and the sample included 129 first- and second- year occupational therapy students. Data was collected retrospectively through educational data mining of university records and institutional dashboards. The variables analyzed included National Senior Certificate Grade12 (NSC12) grades (Mathematics, Life Sciences, …

Faculty Perceptions Of Using Technology For Virtual Debriefing, Kelly Layne, Deanne Otto, Elisabeth Mcgee

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Face-to-face simulation and debriefing have been widely used and researched in occupational therapy and physical therapy education to provide students with authentic learning experiences. However, technology acceptance of virtual debriefing has not been studied with occupational therapy and physical therapy faculty. This is an important area of study, as the use of technology to facilitate virtual debriefing became more common during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to increase in use post-pandemic. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore faculty perceptions of using technology to facilitate virtual debriefing in graduate occupational therapy and physical therapy programs. The …

Simulation In Occupational Therapy Graduate Programs, Donna Walls, Lillie Thomas, Melinda A. Underwood, Kendall Davis

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The purpose of this study was to identify the use of simulation in occupational therapy graduate programs. A national survey was analyzed from participants who were faculty members of graduate programs in the United States. The survey questions focused on the characteristics of the simulated experiences, student skills addressed, faculty collaboration efforts, and the debriefing process. Over 1,750 emails were sent to faculty of accredited graduate occupational therapy programs and yielded a response rate of approximately 9.5% from faculty of 80+ programs in 31 states that were included in the responses. Survey data were analyzed with cross-tabulation and statistical analyses, …