Teaching and Evaluating an Occupational Perspective in Canada: A Descriptive Qualitative Study

Background. Occupation is the core domain of occupational therapy, and an occupational perspective is foundational for practice. Research has explored how an occupational perspective is taught. Yet, little has explored the Canadian occupational therapy educational context. There are national differences in core competencies and accreditation standards and nuances in how occupation is defined and what conceptual models are used. As such, a Canadian perspective may offer new understandings of value both within and outside of Canada. Purpose. To understand how, in Canada, educators teach and evaluate student occupational perspectives in entry-level master of occupational therapy programs. Method. This study used a descriptive qualitative design with an interpretive approach. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data from 12 educators from Canadian entry-level occupational therapy programs. Reflexive thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Findings. Five themes were identified: (1) occupational perspectives as pedagogy (2) it's a process, not an end state; (3) "everybody is involved": a community of educators; (4) thinking critically; and (5) "hard to evaluate." Conclusion. The complex, dynamic, and contextualized nature of an occupational perspective calls for critical, reflexive, communal, and innovative pedagogical and assessment approaches.