An evaluation of the criteria and procedures used for selection of occupational therapy students at South African universities.
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Date
1997
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Abstract
The existing selection criteria and procedures applied at universities training occupational
therapists in South Africa are not meeting the country's need for selecting students who
adequately fulfill the demographic mix which represents the South African population.
The aims of this research were: to investigate the existing criteria and procedures used for the
selection of occupational therapy students; to establish recommendations with regard to how
these criteria and procedures can be adapted to allow for more appropriate and equitable
selection of students, and to obtain opinions from qualified therapists about those
characteristics deemed most important for them to possess in the current South African
Health System.
A combination of quantitative and qualitative methodology was adopted. A survey was
undertaken to obtain basic information and statistics about the numbers of applicants selected,
and the existing selection criteria and procedures currently used to select occupational therapy
students in South African universities. A series of two focus groups for each of the eight
existing universities were carried out i.e. one incorporating the views of lecturers and
clinicians and the other the views of students. The purpose of these groups was to obtain
existing and emerging views of qualified therapists and students on current selection
processes, what could be recommended to make selection fairer for disadvantaged applicants
and what specific characteristics of qualified therapists would be most desirable in the current
health system.
The results indicate that the proportion of African students admitted into occupational therapy
degrees is still far below numbers of other race groups, particularly white South Africans.
That existing selection criteria and procedures are still dominated by eurocentric influence,
particularly in the historically white universities, although there are definite attempts on the
part of all occupational therapy training centres to overcome this, and that there are serious
problems related to recruitment of African applicants which are partly the cause of the low
numbers of African applicants.
Characteristics deemed most desirable in qualified occupational therapists included many,
most significant were: flexibility, particularly a special ability to be able to adjust to all types of
people and cultures which included good communication and interpersonal skills; the ability to
be assertive where appropriate; a "life-Iong-Ieamer" attitude including a visionary
mentality/attitude; creativity and inriovative thinking; perseverance, determination and good
management skills.
Description
Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1997.
Keywords
Universities and colleges--Administration., Universities and colleges--Entrance requirements., Theses--Occupational therapy.