UTMB Health SHARED
UTMB Health SHARED is an online community space for Scholarship, Historical Archives, Repository, & Electronic Dissertations. This digital service is an important tool for preserving the organization’s legacy and facilitating scholarly communication.
Communities in UTMB Health SHARED
Select a community to browse its collections.
- Completed capstone projects from students of the School of Health Professions
- Publications by degree candidates from the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the School of Nursing, and the School of Public and Population Health
- Profiles of UTMB faculty and staff, including selected works.
- Historical images and documents from Moody Medical Library special collections
- Public documents produced by university departments
Recent Submissions
St. Francis Hospital
(E.C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee, Wis., 1945-10-09)
Postcard of the St. Francis Hospital in Kewanee, Illinois.
St. Francis Hospital
(F.M. Kirby & Co., Unknown)
Postcard of the St. Francis Hospital in Kewanee, Illinois.
St. Mary's Hospital
(Curteich-Chicago, Unknown)
Postcard of the St. Mary's Hospital in Kankakee, Illinois.
Handwriting Lab: An Occupational Therapy-Led Program to Foster Teacher Readiness Toward Evidence-Based Practices
(2023) Nunez, Elizabeth
Background. The gap between evidence-based recommendations for handwriting instruction
and current classroom practices demands attention to the context of teachers as primary
stakeholders in successful translation of the vast knowledge on handwriting. Existing
handwriting programs are not feasible without consideration of the teacher implementing the
program. Methods. Kindergarten teachers participated in an 8-week handwriting lab aimed at
improving handwriting intervention. The teachers engaged with the occupational therapist (OT)
on campus in pre- and post- intervention knowledge- and perspective-sharing, including
coaching on ready-made materials. The teachers were then monitored weekly across the
implementation of a motor learning-based and a structured set of systematic daily steps for
teaching the lowercase letters. Data was also collected on changes in students’ letter
writing. Results. Two consenting kindergarten teachers completed the program. Teacher
outcomes indicated favorable results toward the success and feasibility of the program’s
methods. Teachers experienced positive changes in their commitment to evidence-based
handwriting instruction. Quantitative data on student outcomes also revealed positive changes
in students’ ability to write lowercase letters. Discussion. As seen through this program, the
lack of application of evidence-based knowledge on handwriting can be feasibly addressed by
supporting teacher readiness throughout the intervention. Conclusion. The specific teacher-focused
methods of the Handwriting Lab translated to positive changes for teachers and
students. Translation of knowledge on handwriting into the complex clinical arena of the school
setting is a critical area for the ongoing application of the holistic lens of occupational therapy.