A scholarship of practice: creating discourse between theory, research and practice

Area of Science:

• Occupational therapy
• Health sciences research
• Knowledge translation

Background:

• Occupational therapy (OT) has seen significant growth in theory and research.
• A disconnect exists between academic advancements and clinical practice in OT.
• Practitioners often find research irrelevant, while academics note practice lags behind scholarship.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the scholarship of practice as a model to integrate research and practice.
• To propose a collaborative approach for knowledge generation and application in occupational therapy.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual paper discussing the scholarship of practice.
• Emphasis on partnership between practitioners and scholars.
• Focus on cooperative knowledge generation.

Main Results:

• The scholarship of practice assumes end-users must be involved in knowledge creation.
• Cooperative efforts are essential for advancing both knowledge and practice.
• This model aims to align theoretical advancements with practical application.

Conclusions:

• Bridging the gap between OT theory and practice requires active collaboration.
• The scholarship of practice fosters mutual advancement of knowledge and application.
• Integrating practitioners as partners enhances the relevance and impact of research.