A preliminary investigation of the impact of OT-based education on teachers’ and teaching assistants’ practices regarding OT-based strategies within a preschool setting

Occupational therapists (OTs) provide invaluable strategies to enhance the learning of children with disabilities within pre-school settings. Literature highlights a lack of communication and collaboration between OTs and classroom staff in such settings, resulting in poor carryover of OT strategies in classrooms. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a theory-driven, multimedia education module focused on changing classroom staff’s knowledge and confidence toward OT strategies. Development of the intervention was guided by Guskey’s Model of Teacher Change in implementing specific strategies commonly used within this setting. A pre- and posttest design was employed using a questionnaire that was developed following Guskey’s model to determine the likelihood of classroom changes among the 31 classroom staff members surveyed. The educational module positively impacted the knowledge and confidence of the participants, with the greatest change noted for the sensory diet strategy, while the educational level of the participants did not impact changes. Enhancing knowledge and confidence in OT strategies among classroom staff using a theory-driven intervention demonstrates preliminary support for changing classroom behavior among teaching staff for such strategies. This study sets the groundwork for translating OT strategies to the classroom, as well as future research in this area.