Pedagogies within occupational therapy curriculum: centering a decolonial praxis in community development practice

Abstract

Introduction: Critical occupational therapy aims to promote occupational justice through addressing the social determinants of health and the socio-political structures that affect peoples’ occupational engagement. Objective: This paper reports on two objectives from a case study, namely: To describe the teaching and learning practices in South Africa, University of Cape Town Occupational Therapy, Community Development Practice curriculum, and the pedagogy informing it. Method: Multiple methods were used as data in the construction of the case. These included the review of curriculum documents and a focus group discussion with academics who teach on the programme. These academics also wrote reflective journal entries which were included in our analysis. Data was analysed using a critical interpretive synthesis. Results: An overarching theme emerged, namely “Modelling a development processes in a teaching and learning alliance”. This theme identified our key pedagogical approach, illustrating how a decolonial praxis that involves consciously resisting coloniality in the design and implementation of the curriculum occurred. This was made possible through pedagogical actions embedded in the approach and reflected in three categories: “Partnering to bring our critically reflexive and authentic selves”; “The labour of working with individual and systemic processes of struggle” and “Being committed to facing uncertainty together”. Conclusion: Our interpretation of our pedagogical approach within the curriculum demonstrates how decolonial pedagogies open up pathways that promote the kind of dialogic and transformative learning that is important for critical occupational therapy. These decolonial pedagogies hold significance for addressing health inequities and developing a justice-oriented profession.