Relationship of Occupational Therapists' Education and Experience to Perceived Value of Theory Development

The development and validation of theoretical bases for intervention have been identified as crucial goals for the profession of occupational therapy. An earlier study showed that recent graduates at the baccalaureate level tended to place less value on theory development than theory application, whereas graduates of professional master's degree or certificate programs in occupational therapy placed a significantly higher value on theory development. This finding led to speculation that theory valuing may be related to professional experience and maturity. This study sought to determine if attitudes of occupational therapists toward theory development are related to their level of education or to their length of professional experience. Using a survey instrument devised by the author, data were collected from a sample of 138 experienced therapists and compared with data collected earlier from recent graduates. Results indicated that both longevity of practice as well as level of education were associated with high priorities for theory development.