Using Occupational Justice as a Linchpin of International Educational Collaborations

Area of Science:

• Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Education

Background:

• International educational collaborations require integrating occupational justice principles.
• Occupational justice is crucial for student learning in global academic partnerships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an international collaboration between U.S. occupational science and South African occupational therapy students.
• To explore how this collaboration fostered understanding of occupational science constructs and occupational justice.

Main Methods:

• Six synchronous video conferences were conducted between U.S. and South African undergraduate students.
• Student feedback was collected via a six-item open-ended electronic questionnaire and analyzed using directed content analysis.

Main Results:

• The collaboration facilitated deeper comprehension of occupational science concepts and global perspectives.
• Students reported enhanced understanding of international peers and self-awareness.
• The project served as a foundation for engaging with occupational justice.

Conclusions:

• International collaborations can effectively deepen students' disciplinary knowledge and critical consciousness.
• Future refinements should leverage increased critical consciousness to advance occupational justice education.