Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Education

Advisor

Amy Adcock

Abstract

In recent years, occupational therapy education has been evolving due to educational trends such as blended learning. Blended learning is a combination of both synchronous and asynchronous learning that occurs online as well as in a brick-and-mortar setting. Little is known regarding occupational therapy educators' self-efficacy to teach in a blended curriculum. It is essential to understand the self-efficacy of these educators, especially related to their skills and capabilities to teach in such an innovative format. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of occupational therapy educators' self-efficacy teaching in a blended curriculum. The research question for this study focused on how occupational therapy educators view their self-efficacy regarding teaching effectively in a blended curriculum. The conceptual framework for this study was Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. Ten occupational therapy educators who were currently teaching in a blended curriculum were interviewed for this study. Descriptive and in vivo coding were used to analyze the data. Results revealed that personal agency, professional development and mentorship, feedback from colleagues and students, and using coping strategies to manage frustration contributed to an enhanced perception of self-efficacy in occupational therapy educators. This study can facilitate positive social change by informing university administrators and leadership on how to best support faculty teaching future occupational therapy practitioners using a blended curriculum by providing structured professional development and mentoring programs focusing on pedagogy, learning management systems, and educational technology tools.

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