Exploring the Praxis of Occupational Therapy-Community Development Practitioners

Area of Science:

• Occupational therapy
• Community development
• Social transformation
• Praxis

Background:

• Occupational therapy practice increasingly integrates community development for social transformation.
• A disconnect between espoused values and actual practice limits the effectiveness of occupational therapy and community development.
• Engaging in praxis, the critical synthesis of theory and practice, is encouraged to bridge this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the extent and manner in which Australian occupational therapy practitioners involved in community development utilize critical praxis.
• To understand the facilitators and barriers to engaging in praxis within this specific practitioner group.

Main Methods:

• A critical dialogical approach was adopted.
• Multiple in-depth interviews were conducted with four occupational therapy-community development practitioners.
• Thematic analysis was applied to transcribed interview data.

Main Results:

• Practitioners demonstrated the capacity for praxis but did not consistently implement it.
• Identified themes included disjointed praxis, authentic praxis, supporting praxis, and challenges/solutions related to praxis.
• Findings highlight variability in the application of critical praxis.

Conclusions:

• Occupational therapists in community development roles possess the potential for praxis.
• Consistent engagement in praxis is not yet widespread.
• There is a need for targeted support to enhance practitioners' skills in developing, applying, and sustaining critical praxis.