# Is global citizenship a priority in occupational therapy education? The perceptions of Australian occupational therapy educators

## TL;DR

This paper explores how Australian occupational therapy educators perceive global citizenship in education and whether it is considered important for preparing students for professional practice.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the varying understandings and perceived relevance of global citizenship in Australian occupational therapy education.

## Key findings

- Educators perceived global citizenship as either irrelevant, locally important, desirable, or essential for professional identity.
- Most participants considered global citizenship necessary for developing a strong professional identity in students.
- The study highlights a need for further research on student perspectives of global citizenship.

## Abstract

In an increasingly interconnected world, there is a pressing need for occupational therapy students to graduate as culturally responsive and socially responsible global citizens. However, little is known about the extent in which global citizenship is understood by occupational therapy educators and if it is embedded in Australian occupational therapy education.

An interpretive, phenomenographic approach was adopted, to identify the qualitatively different ways that occupational therapy educators understand global citizenship in occupational therapy education and its perceived importance in preparing graduates for professional practice. Twenty Australian educators were interviewed. Analysis of interview transcriptions generated four distinct ‘categories of description’ grounded in participants' awareness and experience of global citizenship and its relationship to internationalisation of the curriculum in occupational therapy education.

No consumer/community were involved in this research.

The four categories revealed global citizenship and internationalisation of the curriculum was perceived by participants as either institutionally imposed and irrelevant, locally mandated and important, values driven and desirable, or professionally essential and aspirational. While some participants described it as lacking relevance to occupational therapy education, others felt that it was essential to preparing students for professional practice and therefore should be in curriculum.

Global citizenship in occupational therapy education was understood in various ways. Becoming a global citizen was considered by most participants as necessary for developing a strong professional identity. Further research related to student perceptions of global citizenship and how this contributes to the development of professional identity is called for.

Preparing occupational therapists as global citizens is required because the settings in which occupational therapists work are increasingly impacted by social, cultural, and political issues. Global citizenship is a commitment to addressing world issues, power, and injustice through actions, behaviours, and developing attributes associated with political thinking. The World Federation of Occupational Therapists has called for a stronger focus on global citizenship in occupational therapy education; however, little is known about global citizenship in occupational therapy education in Australia. In this study, 20 occupational therapy academics in Australia were interviewed, to identify the different ways global citizenship was understood and if it was embedded in curriculum. Analysis of the interview data revealed differences in perspectives with some educators stating global citizenship lacked relevance, while others felt it was either locally important, desirable to include in curriculum or essential for preparing future work‐ready graduates with a strong professional identity. Future research on global citizenship from a student perspective is recommended.