Award Date

5-1-2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Occupational Therapy Doctorate

Department

Brain Health

First Committee Member

Donnamarie Krause

Second Committee Member

Sharon Jalene

Number of Pages

89

Abstract

Objective: This capstone project evaluated the effectiveness of using unfolding case studies (UCS) as a supplemental instructional method to enhance occupational therapy (OT) students’ self-efficacy (SE) in applying therapeutic use of self (TUOS), a core competency in OT education.Methods: Four workshop modules were delivered to and completed by OT students (n=3) enrolled in the occupational therapy doctorate program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The sessions included instructional content, guided discussions, unfolding case study activities, and a TUOS competency. The Self-Efficacy for Therapeutic Use of Self (SETUS) Questionnaire was administered at four points throughout to monitor perceived self-efficacy over time. Findings: Descriptive statistics indicated progressive increases in SETUS scores across all subscales—Self-Efficacy for Therapeutic Mode Use (SETMU), Recognizing Interpersonal Characteristics (SERIC), and Managing Interpersonal Events (SEMIE)—from baseline to post-competency. Qualitative feedback supported these findings, highlighting the workshop’s relevance and the unfolding case study format’s value in promoting confidence and real-time clinical reasoning. Conclusion: Students' perceptions of their self-efficacy in TUOS were positively affected by the UCS-based workshop, suggesting more meaningful and effective ways of bridging theoretical knowledge and practical application in OT education through unfolding case studies. Implementing similar approaches in the future may contribute to the development of other interpersonal and clinical competencies essential to OT practice.

Keywords

intentional relationship model; occupational therapy education; occupational therapy students; self-efficacy; therapeutic use of self; unfolding case studies

Disciplines

Education | Occupational Therapy

File Format

pdf

File Size

1227 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Download


Share

COinS