Collaboration With Teachers: A National Survey of School-Based OT Practitioners (OTPs)

Collaboration is a partnership with effective communication, participation in decision-making, and promotion of inclusion with school teams (AOTA, 2017) which have been documented to improve outcomes for students. Yet access to team members may be limited (Orentlicher, Handley-More, Ehrenberg, Frenkel, & Markowitz, 2014).

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and collaborative practices of school-based occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) with teachers. This area of was chosen in order to more fully understand the practical realities and experiences of school-based OTPs during the collaborative process, including topics of service delivery, knowledge acquisition on collaborative models, facilitators/barriers to the collaborative process, and overall feelings of success and value. Research Question: What are the perceptions and practices of school-based OTPs related to collaboration with teachers?

In order to answer the RQ, a researcher-developed survey was created following an extensive literature review of evidenced-based and practice-based literature on collaboration in the school setting. The format included demographic, close-ended, multiple choice, and open-ended questions. Following IRB approval, this non-experimental, quantitative investigation was piloted with 5 school-based OTPs to improve face validity and ascertain if the survey questions were clear, concise, and consistent with the RQ. Thereafter, the nationwide survey was launched via the anonymous online platform, SurveyMonkey. Participant recruitment, via publicly available social media platforms, targeted pediatric OTPs working in school-based settings across the United States. This convenience sample was expanded through snowballing. A total of 524 OTPs from across all regions of the United States completed the survey.

Data analysis included descriptive statistics, including cross-tabulation and the ability to filter responses for more discreet analysis. Both the SurveyMonkey analysis tool features and Excel were used to manage and analyze the data.

A majority of respondents (>70%), perceived their experience with collaboration as productive and felt valued as a member of the team. Additionally, 67% agreed or strongly agreed that teachers were willing collaborative partners. Data outcomes indicated barriers to collaboration as nearly half disagreed or strongly disagreed to the perception of being allotted time to collaborate (45%). Slightly more than half agreed or strongly agreed to perceived role understanding between teachers and OTPs (53[RCGP1] %). Less than 20% of respondents reported a co-teaching model, 59% utilized individual non-integrated or a pull-out model and 22% of the school-based OTPs surveyed implemented individual push-in service. Additionally, 12% of the OTPs reported limited participation in system-wide support to fulfill Every Student Succeeds Act (2015). Interestingly, 40-45% of respondents reported that they acquire collaborative practice knowledge through web-based sources (e.g., search engines, social media, and webinars) vs. traditional full-day continuing education courses (25%).

Current literature supports collaboration as best practice but there was little reported on the current perceptions and practice patterns of OTPs’ collaborative experiences with teachers. The results of this survey add to the body of literature on this topic. If collaboration is documented to be an avenue to facilitate educational access for students, this information can assist in future plans on how to further support OTPs in this endeavor. The results of the survey inform practice in terms of education related to collaborative models, as well as help to demonstrate how and when OTPs are engaging in successful collaborative experiences.

References

American Occupational Therapy Association. (2019). Occupational therapy’s distinct value in children & youth. Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/Practice/Children-Youth/distinct-value.aspx

Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, Pub. L. 114–195, 114 Stat. 1177.

Orentlicher, M., Handley-More, D., Ehrenberg, R, Frenkel, M. & Markowitz, L. (2014). Working in early interventions and school settings: Current views of best practice. Early Intervention & School Special Interest Section Quarterly,20(2), 1-4.