THE IMPACT OF EDUCATIONAL-LEVEL ON OCCUPATIONAL AND PHYSICAL-THERAPISTS PERCEPTIONS OF PROFESSIONAL STATUS

This article is a descriptive study of 356 occupational therapists and 346 physical therapists in Sweden regarding their perceptions of prof essional status. These groups were compared according to educational l evel to determine whether the transfer of their education to a univers ity level had made a difference in their perception of their own profe ssional status and that of others. The status differences between the groups remained, and the structure of professional status seemed stabl e through time and not dependent on educational level. Professionals w ith a more positivistic knowledge base-physical therapists-tended to p erceive increased professional status of themselves and of other team members, and professionals with a more humanistic knowledge base-occup ational therapists-tended to perceive a decreased status. A plausible explanation might be that university schooling and certification reinf orce a positivistic view, which is most prevalent in physical therapy The ongoing process of professionalization within occupational and phy sical therapy might be more influenced by the medical profession than expected. Whether or not these findings apply to therapists in other c ountries is worth continued exploration through similar research inves tigations. As the therapy professions are becoming more global, inform ation about educational and professional concerns of peers in differen t countries can provide increased insights into the professions.