Influences on students' decisions to study occupational therapy at a regional Australian university: A mixed methods study

INTRODUCTION: There is limited information about why students decide to study occupational therapy as a course in Australian higher education. Understanding what influences students' decisions is important to ensure adequate workforce growth to support Australia's growing population. Therefore, the study's aim was to identify what influences students' decisions to study occupational therapy at a regional Australian university, as well as potential facilitators and barriers affecting these decisions. METHODS: An explanatory mixed methods design was used. One hundred and thirty-four student participants completed an online survey through purposeful sampling, and a convenience sample of 13 survey participants completed follow-up semi-structured interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse survey data, and reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data. CONSUMER AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Consumers and community members were not involved in the development or undertaking of this research. RESULTS: Occupational therapy aligned with students' values, skills, and roles, which influenced their decision to study the profession. These influences included making a positive impact on people's lives (83.2%) and a desire to work in health care (77.1%). Financial supports facilitated their decision to study occupational therapy through family, flexible employment, and government supports. Students primarily heard about the profession through family (30.6%) or friends (18.7%), with their decision heavily influenced by personal connections affording positive exposure to the profession. Narrow societal knowledge and perception of occupational therapy resulted in students gaining a limited understanding of the broad scope and role of the profession. CONCLUSION: The key findings showed the influence of personal networks in course decision-making, in addition to a narrow societal knowledge and perception of occupational therapy. This finding suggests the need for greater opportunity for diverse exposure to the occupational therapy profession, with more information provided to prospective students about the scope of occupational therapy practice.