Scholars' Repository

International Service Learning: How do Occupational Therapy Programs in the U.S. apply Social Justice Principles to International Travel Experiences for OT Students?

Cotic Costello, Vesna and Everhart, Jeannine and Allison-Jones, Lisa and Davidson, Leslie International Service Learning: How do Occupational Therapy Programs in the U.S. apply Social Justice Principles to International Travel Experiences for OT Students? 2023. Radford University, Doctoral Capstone Project. Radford University Scholars' Repository.

PDF
Download (2MB)

Abstract

Social justice in healthcare is a calling and a mandate that ensures the on-going progression towards the collectively valued and ethical outcome of health equity. OT programs in the U.S. are committed to social justice as directed by various governing bodies, such as the World Federation of Occupational Therapists and the World Health Organization. OT programs commonly utilize experiential and service-learning pedagogies, which, coupled with a desire to facilitate social justice in healthcare, makes international service learning (ISL) opportunities attractive to both, OT students and OT programs. No information, however, is currently available about the prevalence of ISL opportunities in U.S. OT programs, its structures, practices, and outcomes, nor how programmatic social justice attitudes may relate to ISL structures, practices, and outcomes. Objectives: This research study examined current ISL rates, practices, and outcomes, as well as the ISL social justice attitudes of entry-level U.S. OT programs. The results of the study provided new knowledge about ISL prevalence rates, structures, and practices, as well as information about the most common ISL outcomes, social justice attitudes, and their interactions. Methodology & Results: This cross-sectional quantitative study used a 15-item survey distributed via an electronic Qualtrics link to 191 entry-level U.S. OT programs with a response rate of 29.84%. The ISL prevalence rate, as well as the most common country locations, learning objectives, pre-departure training formats, content and hours, as well as in-country activities are described. No significant relationships were found between various ISL variables and no significant differences between social justice attitudes and ISL outcomes between groups. Keywords: social justice, international service learning, occupational therapy education, health equity

Item Type: Doctoral Capstone Project
Subjects: L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
R Medicine > RZ Other systems of medicine
Divisions: Radford University > Waldron College of Health and Human Services > Public Health Program
Date Deposited: 27 Aug 2023 16:58
Last Modified: 27 Aug 2023 16:58
URI: http://wagner.radford.edu/id/eprint/1020

Administrative Actions

View Item View Item