DEVELOPING CULTURAL COMPETENCE BASED ON REFLECTIONS IN INTERNATIONAL FIELDWORK EDUCATION – STUDENT AND TEACHER PERSPECTIVES

Background: Cultural competence plays an important role in client-centered occupational therapy. A culturally competent provision of care can contribute in providing relevant and sensitive assessment and intervention services... [ view full abstract ]

Background:
Cultural competence plays an important role in client-centered occupational therapy. A culturally competent provision of care can contribute in providing relevant and sensitive assessment and intervention services for diverse client population. Development of cultural competence is an ongoing and continuous process, and it is thus necessary to start with this in the education of occupational therapy. Literature indicates that international partnerships and exchange studies can be a strategy to promote its development among occupational therapy students.

Educational Philosophy:
In occupational therapy, reflective practice is essential in developing professional reasoning. In occupational therapy education, reflective learning is important in integrating knowledge and experiences into meaningful perspectives.

Pedagogy:
Exchange students from Manila, Philippines engaged in learning activities in clinical and role-emerging settings in Umeå, Sweden, such as supervised client care provision, collaborative development of project proposal for fieldwork placement, and interdisciplinary case management. These activities provided them with opportunities to interact and communicate with colleagues and clients with Swedish and other ethnic backgrounds. Discussions between the students and teachers involved were intended to stimulate reflection on students’ experiences.

Evaluation:
The reflective discussions have been helpful in integrating students’ experiences into meaningful perspectives and have contributed to degrees of cultural competence in both students and teacher. Reflecting on students’ experiences together with the teacher has increased awareness and sensitivity on cultural differences in daily living as well as occupational therapy practice and education.

Application to Education:
International exchange programs may contribute into enhancing students’ and teachers’ cultural competence and improving clinical education.