Personality Type in Occupational Therapy Students: Implications for Teaching and Learning Strategies

SUMMARY

In this descriptive study, 130 occupational therapy students completed a widely-used personality inventory (the MBTI-M) as part of coursework in their first semester. The majority of students evinced a preference for seven out of the 16 possible personality types; one type was not selected by anyone. These findings closely resembled data from the 1970s on practicing occupational therapists. Common characteristics, such as a high premium on personal connectedness and a dependable working environment, have important implications for faculty. Implications for findings relate to adjusting instructional delivery methods to best match type and learning preferences for this population.

KEYWORDS:

• Occupational therapy education
• personality types
• learning style