An investigation of therapy student's perception of cultural awareness

Cultural awareness is recognized as an essential skill for the effective practice of physiotherapy and occupational therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of cultural awareness of 274undergraduate physiotherapy and occupational therapy students.

A self administered questionnaire adapted and modified from Cheung et al (2002) was used. More than half of the students recognized the influence of cultural factors on the assessment and intervention process and the functional ability of the client. The majority of the students believed that the level of cultural awareness could be influenced by education (92%, 104/113) and placement experience (98%, 110/113). Students rated themselves to be ignorant or to having limited awareness of the sources of information and access to language translation services.

This study highlights the need to address the challenges of working in a multicultural society within the curriculum and equip the students with the skills required to work in a multicultural society.