Victorian primary school teachers' perspectives on collaboration with occupational therapists

Effective interprofessional collaboration between primary school teachers and occupational therapists is crucial in fostering inclusive learning environments. Occupational therapists work in schools to assist children who require additional support through the recommendation of capacity building strategies. Teachers play a fundamental role in ensuring these recommendations are implemented consistently, making collaboration with occupational therapists important for student performance and participation. However, various factors impact this collaborative process. There is a lack of research on Australian teachers' perspectives regarding collaboration with occupational therapists. Therefore, this study investigated the perspectives of Victorian primary school teachers on collaborating with occupational therapists to identify ways to enhance collaboration.

This study employed an exploratory qualitative research design. Seven Victorian primary school teachers were recruited through a combination of convenience and snowball sampling. Participants completed online semi-structured interviews, sharing their personal perspectives and experiences on collaborating with occupational therapists in schools. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

No consumer or community involvement.

Two themes were generated from the data, each with several subthemes. The first theme, 'We need to have everyone working on the same page' represented a misalignment between the professions and was supported by two subthemes: Defining dynamics and clarifying contributions and Talk to me: clear, concise and frequent. The second theme, Bridging the resource gap, presented various resource constraints and included three subthemes titled: School rules, All hands on deck and Teach me, teach you.

Misalignments in role understanding and communication between teachers and occupational therapists hinder effective collaboration. Moreover, limited resources and inadequate support systems make it difficult for occupational therapists and teachers to better align their practices. Outside of supportive policy changes, strengthening this collaboration requires greater appreciation of each other's role demands, concise communication methods, and supportive information sharing.