Role Perception and Professional Identity of Occupational Therapists Working in Education Systems.

BACKGROUND. Occupational therapists, especially those in education systems, are challenged to define their professional roles and identities. PURPOSE. This research evaluated the Role-Perception Questionnaire for Occupational Therapists in the Education System's (RP-OT) psychometric properties, the Professional Identity Scale (PIS) internal consistency among occupational therapists, and relationships among role perception, professional identity, and demographic characteristics. METHOD. A sample of 147 occupational therapists in education systems completed the RP-OT and PIS. We conducted exploratory factor analysis and calculated Cronbach alpha to evaluate the RP-OT and PIS psychometric properties. Relationships were examined using Pearson correlation. FINDINGS. The RP-OT was found reliable and valid, with medium-to-strong correlations among role perception, professional identity, and demographics. Teamwork in the education system was the major predictor (82%) of professional identity. IMPLICATIONS. Teamwork is part of the professional role of occupational therapists in the education system and a significant component for developing their positive professional-identity perception.