LONGITUDINAL STUDY ABOUT THE CHANGE OF SELF-EFFICACY AND SELF-KNOWLEDGE FOR ADJUSTABILITY RELATED TO PRACTICAL PLACEMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY STUDENTS

Background: Occupational therapy students learn about the job and adaptability and self-regulation during practical placements. Self-efficacy seems to influence self-knowledge in adaptability. We clarified the changes and... [ view full abstract ]

Background:
Occupational therapy students learn about the job and adaptability and self-regulation during practical placements. Self-efficacy seems to influence self-knowledge in adaptability. We clarified the changes and relationship with a two-year longitudinal study of practical placements using general self-efficacy scale (GSES; Sakano, 1986) and self-assessment scale of adjustability (SSA; Miyamoto, 2014).

Method:
The 34 subjects were occupational therapy students who submitted consent forms for participation in the study. Two short-term (three-week) sessions (S1&S2) and two long-term (eight-week) sessions (S3&S4) were designed. GSES and SSA analysis was performed before and after sessions. An analysis was performed using GSES and SSA before and after sessions. Data was analyzed using SPSS statistics 23.

Results:
A Friedman test showed a significant difference in both GSES and SSA scores. Multiple comparison test using Bonferroni inequalities showed significant differences in GSES scores between S2-S1, S3-S1, and S4-S3 (p<0.0125 respectively), but not between S4-S1 (p=0.16>0.0125). There were significant differences in SSA scores between S2-S1, S3-S1, and S4-S1 (p<0.0125 respectively), but not between S4-S3 (p=0.027>0.0125). Correlation analysis showed a moderate positive correlation between GSES and SSA in S1.

Conclusion:
No significant difference in self-efficacy was found between S4-S1, but score changes suggest a qualitative difference. Self-evaluation of necessary adaptability increased with empirical P values, but a large increase in the range was observed before and after the first empirical evidence. Self-evaluation increased before and after a long-term practical placement, but not significantly. Correlation analysis also indicated that these changes did not always occur simultaneously.