Knowledge and Use of Theory among Occupational Therapists: A Canadian Survey

Abstract

Recent interest in occupational therapy theory has focussed attention on the utility of theory for clinical-practice and for research. However, for many therapists, knowledge and use of theory have changed notably since their educational days, and the process of keeping up to date on theory development may be difficult. This paper presents the results of a survey aimed at identifying the extent of use of theory and the level of knowledge about theory among practicing therapists in Canada. A random sample of 187 therapists from across the country was surveyed to ascertain their knowledge of authors and ideas in the occupational therapy theory literature. Results indicate that overall knowledge level is moderate. Factors which significantly predict theory knowledge include year of graduation, training in or outside Canada, academic qualification, and self-assessment of theory knowledge. There were no significant differences in theory knowledge according to area of clinical practice.