Abstract
Title: "Cultural Safety at the Intersection of Education and Social Justice: Occupational Therapy Students’ Perceptions about their capabilities for practicing Cultural Safety when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’”
Rationale:
Cultural Safety capabilities are an outcome of education and reflective practice. As future healthcare professionals, occupational therapy graduates will play a vital role in providing Culturally Safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ to promote health equity.
Aims:
This study explored occupational therapy students’ perceptions of their capabilities for Culturally Safe practice and evaluated the impact of the UniSC course HLT242 – Indigenous Wellbeing Practice on those perceptions.
Methods:
A concurrent mixed methods design was used. Occupational therapy students completed the Cultural Capability Measurement Tool (CCMT) (West et al., 2021) before and after the course. The CCMT and course align with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework (Department of Health, 2014). Semi-structured interviews were conducted after course completion.
Results and Findings:
Data from 21 students were analysed. Pre-course cultural capability scores were moderately high (mean = 4.05/5), but statistically significant improvements were observed post-course (mean = 4.31). The most notable gains were in reverse-coded items, indicating a shift away from misconceptions about First Peoples and toward understanding the relevance of cultural practices and historical context to health inequities.
Interview themes revealed shifts in worldview and self-awareness, recognition of lifelong learning, and a growing capacity for advocacy and allyship. Students acknowledged the importance of curriculum that reflects lived experiences and systemic inequities.
Conclusion and Practice Implications:
This research contributes to a more socially just world by evaluating education purposefully designed to advance Cultural Safety capabilities, highlight Indigenous narratives and challenge systemic bias. Driven by values of equity, respect, and accountability, the work intersects with communities seeking health equity and social justice through Cultural Safety. This study informs curriculum development and design and empowers future health practitioners to amplify underrepresented voices and contribute meaningfully to ‘Closing the Gap’.
Where to next?
Alignment with staffing and embedding – this project is the student journey. Within the SoH looking at the whole picture combining previous work “Time for a Yarn.” Exploring what this means beyond health education. And longitudinal follow up – translation into practice.