The Impact of Classroom Instruction on Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity in Occupational Therapy Students

As the population in the United States increases, it is essential that occupational therapy students and practitioners be aware of, respond to, and effectively interact with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. Current literature identifies a gap in the cultural competence education for occupational therapy students and has demonstrated the importance of developing a culturally sensitive curriculum that will prepare students for today’s work environment. This study employed a quasi-experimental approach with a one group pretest-posttest design to explore the development of cultural awareness in occupational therapy students with classroom instruction on culturally sensitive practice. Data was collected from 43 students enrolled in an entry-level master occupational therapy program using the Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity Questionnaire (CASQ) as an online survey. Results indicated a change in the level of students’ cultural awareness and sensitivity following classroom instruction. This provides evidence in the growing body of literature on the effective education of cultural competency with occupational therapy students.