Practice and Service Learning in Occupational Therapy: Enhancing Potential in Context

By: Auldeen Alsop and Theresa Lorenzo and Madeleine Duncan and Helen Buchanan

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Synopsis: While this book is based primarily on experiences of occupational therapy practice education in South Africa, it aims to have international appeal as key principles of practice and service learning are drawn from the differing scenarios covered. Based on qualitative research, some of the book’s chapters describe issues faced by students in complex practice situations and highlight educational strategies for promoting socially responsive professional development. They show how students engage with the personal and professional challenges of working in a multicultural society and how situated learning can enhance their resourcefulness in meeting the needs of individuals, groups and communities. The book is divided into three sections: The first, on the practice education agenda, establishes the academic rationale for various forms of practice learning within an occupational therapy curriculum. The second section examines the learning opportunities offered by different practice contexts and highlights mechanisms for developing the professional identity of students. The final section, on enhancing potential, reviews mechanisms that may be used for supporting students in the field, and ends with a look at the future of practice education and how it might develop in response to social and international drivers.