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Scholarship and practice: bridging the divide.
1Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1919 West Taylor Street, 3rd Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA. kielhfnr@uic.edu
Summary
Academic occupational therapy (OT) research is often not used in practice due to relevance and implementation issues. This study explores bridging the academic-practice gap by rethinking knowledge generation and fostering collaboration between researchers and practitioners.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Therapy
- Knowledge Translation
- Academic Practice
Background:
- Academic research in occupational therapy (OT) is frequently not translated into clinical practice.
- Practitioners report OT theory and research lack relevance and are difficult to implement in daily work.
- The academic-practice gap is partly due to traditional views on knowledge generation in academia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss changes in academic knowledge views and their relationship to practice in OT.
- To examine how OT scholarship can be better grounded in everyday practice.
- To explore power-sharing and effective dialogue between researchers and practitioners.
Main Methods:
- Review of traditional academic knowledge generation.
- Examination of participatory research experiences in OT.
- Discussion of potential shifts in academic-practice relationships.
Main Results:
- Traditional academic knowledge views may hinder practical application in OT.
- Participatory research offers a model for grounding scholarship in practice.
- Shared power and dialogue can improve the academic-practice connection.
Conclusions:
- Rethinking how knowledge is generated and valued in academia is crucial for OT.
- Integrating practice-based insights into research can enhance relevance and implementation.
- Fostering collaborative relationships between OT researchers and practitioners is essential for bridging the academic-practice gap.