Partnership for practice change and knowledge development

The purpose of the paper is to present and evaluate results of an educational initiative at the occupational therapy programme at University College Lillebaelt in Denmark. The objectives of the initiative were (A) to promote research-based change of practice and knowledge development of municipal practice fields through students’ bachelor projects, (B) to develop students’ professional occupational therapy and practice research competences and (C) to establish an institutional partnership between the educational institutions and various practice fields. The theoretical and methodological approach to the students’ bachelor projects was practice research based on critical psychology.
A total of 29 students divided into nine bachelor groups participated in the educational initiatives. Every group conducted a practice research project, they collaborated with occupational therapists in the practice field and citizens, drafted written reports and communicated their results. Concurrently, they received special education and counselling. The initiative was evaluated by focus group interviews and questionnaires. Results of the evaluations showed (A) that the bachelor projects as a new accomplishment lead to research based suggestions for change of the practice field; (B) that the students acquired competences in occupational therapy theory, practice research and collaboration and (C) that institutional partnerships were established promoting the essence of the initiative: change of practice and knowledge development. The results lead to attempts to continue the educational initiative.

Keywords: Practice research, theory-practice relation, bachelor project, student-practitioner-teacher collaboration, community partnership.