Graduation Year
2019
Document Type
Capstone Project
Project Type
Qualitative Study
Degree Name
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy
Program
Occupational Therapy
Program Chair
Julia Wilbarger, PhD, OTR/L
Faculty Advisor
Julia Wilbarger, PhD, OTR/L
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this research is to determine whether the implementation of sensory activity schedule in a preschool classroom can increase the on-task behaviors of the students.
Methods: Three students were recruited to participate in a quantitative multiple single subject design with qualitative follow-up study. The participants performed sensorimotor activities before circle time and were monitored for frequency of their off-task behavior using a time sampling frequency data collection. Afterwards, the head teacher was interviewed to discuss the experience.
Results: Off-task behavior decreased from baseline on all three children, which supports the efficacy of sensory activity schedule in reducing off-task behavior. Cultural disconnect, classroom dynamics, and scheduling conflict were identified as barriers to successful implementation of sensory activity schedule.
Conclusion: Occupational therapists are encouraged to conduct a needs assessment before starting a research to identify potential barriers. More research is needed to determine the long-term effectiveness of sensory activity schedule in a classroom.
Included in
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Early Childhood Education Commons, Occupational Therapy Commons, Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education Commons, Special Education and Teaching Commons