Academic and social concerns of students in higher education
Abstract
Background: Engaging in higher education poses challenges for students facing the multiple demands of learning, work and personal life. Evidence for occupational therapy (OT) practice within learning support centers (LSC) in... [ view full abstract ]
Background: Engaging in higher education poses challenges for students facing the multiple demands of learning, work and personal life. Evidence for occupational therapy (OT) practice within learning support centers (LSC) in higher education is lacking. Objectives: 1) to examine areas of difficulties that students experience based upon age, gender, work, faculty; 2) to validate the Trinity Student Profile (TSP) in Israel.
Methods: The TSP contains 75 items divided to 3 factors: person, occupation, environment. It is reliable and valid in the Irish population. It was translated into Hebrew with permission and back translated for verification. 150 students enrolled at Ono Academic College (OAC) filled out the TSP: 86 from business and law; 64 from health professions (occupational therapy and communication speech therapists). All participants signed informed consents.
Results: A significant difference within the person factor for age was found (p<.009). Significant interactions were found for person and occupation factors ranging from (p<.045 to .009) within different groups, and none for the environmental factor.
Conclusions: These findings suggest the importance of the person and occupation components of student concerns. Further studies with the TSP and other measures in OT should be conducted in different countries.
Application to practice: OT engagement in LSC would benefit from use of the TSP instrument. The findings highlight the unique work of occupational therapists in higher education that assists students in creating a fit among the person- environment-occupation components and in the development of skills and strategies to manage their student role, both academically and socially.
Authors
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Orit Lahav
(Ono Academic College)
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Clodagh Nolan
(Trinity College, Dublin)
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Noomi Katz
(Ono Academic College)
Topic Areas
Horizon 2020 and occupational therapy / science research , Education / Research / Professional Challenges , Community society gender, culture , Research methods , Curriculum development , Evidence based practice , Multiprofessional issues in practice, research and education , Service user involvement in developing practice education and research enablement
Session
OS - 8E » Education: Academic (11:30 - Saturday, 18th June, Kirwan Theatre)
Paper
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