‘Finding the play’ – exploring with occupational therapists practice possibilities in the context of Irish schoolyards

Background Research has identified diverse constraints to the adoption of school-based occupational therapy approaches and a lack of attention to addressing the barriers to children’s play opportunities. Critical contextualised research is advocated to inform practice possibilities.Aims/Objectives T...

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Main Authors: Michelle Bergin, Bryan Boyle, Margareta Lilja, Maria Prellwitz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/11038128.2024.2361649
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author Michelle Bergin
Bryan Boyle
Margareta Lilja
Maria Prellwitz
author_facet Michelle Bergin
Bryan Boyle
Margareta Lilja
Maria Prellwitz
author_sort Michelle Bergin
collection DOAJ
description Background Research has identified diverse constraints to the adoption of school-based occupational therapy approaches and a lack of attention to addressing the barriers to children’s play opportunities. Critical contextualised research is advocated to inform practice possibilities.Aims/Objectives This inquiry aimed to explore with occupational therapists their existing practices in Irish schoolyards to generate practice possibilities concerned with play, as an issue of occupational justice.Materials and Methods Using the theory of practice architectures, six occupational therapists from diverse sites of practice participated in the first phase of a critical action research process using dialogical focus group and occupational mapping methods.Results Three themes were generated (1) Existing practices as situated (2) (Re)mattering play and practices as occupations and (3) Practice possibilities – ‘Finding the play’ between responsiveness and responsibilities. A further interrelated dimension was how the research methods provided mechanisms of raising consciousness.Conclusions, and Significance Alongside constructing knowledges on existing practices in an Irish context, this inquiry contributes to understandings of practices as socially embedded generative processes of ‘finding the play’, highlighting ethical responsibilities to make visible inequities reproduced in habitual practices and engage in relationships of solidarity to (re)construct alternative shared practices.
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spelling doaj-art-12969fc366c041a2804b5a56834169492025-01-24T17:53:19ZengTaylor & Francis GroupScandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy1103-81281651-20142024-12-0131110.1080/11038128.2024.2361649‘Finding the play’ – exploring with occupational therapists practice possibilities in the context of Irish schoolyardsMichelle Bergin0Bryan Boyle1Margareta Lilja2Maria Prellwitz3Department of Health, Education and Technology, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, SwedenDepartment of Health, Education and Technology, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, SwedenDepartment of Health, Education and Technology, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, SwedenDepartment of Health, Education and Technology, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, SwedenBackground Research has identified diverse constraints to the adoption of school-based occupational therapy approaches and a lack of attention to addressing the barriers to children’s play opportunities. Critical contextualised research is advocated to inform practice possibilities.Aims/Objectives This inquiry aimed to explore with occupational therapists their existing practices in Irish schoolyards to generate practice possibilities concerned with play, as an issue of occupational justice.Materials and Methods Using the theory of practice architectures, six occupational therapists from diverse sites of practice participated in the first phase of a critical action research process using dialogical focus group and occupational mapping methods.Results Three themes were generated (1) Existing practices as situated (2) (Re)mattering play and practices as occupations and (3) Practice possibilities – ‘Finding the play’ between responsiveness and responsibilities. A further interrelated dimension was how the research methods provided mechanisms of raising consciousness.Conclusions, and Significance Alongside constructing knowledges on existing practices in an Irish context, this inquiry contributes to understandings of practices as socially embedded generative processes of ‘finding the play’, highlighting ethical responsibilities to make visible inequities reproduced in habitual practices and engage in relationships of solidarity to (re)construct alternative shared practices.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/11038128.2024.2361649Critical action-researchconsciousnessoccupational justiceplaypractice theoriesschool-based occupational therapy
spellingShingle Michelle Bergin
Bryan Boyle
Margareta Lilja
Maria Prellwitz
‘Finding the play’ – exploring with occupational therapists practice possibilities in the context of Irish schoolyards
Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy
Critical action-research
consciousness
occupational justice
play
practice theories
school-based occupational therapy
title ‘Finding the play’ – exploring with occupational therapists practice possibilities in the context of Irish schoolyards
title_full ‘Finding the play’ – exploring with occupational therapists practice possibilities in the context of Irish schoolyards
title_fullStr ‘Finding the play’ – exploring with occupational therapists practice possibilities in the context of Irish schoolyards
title_full_unstemmed ‘Finding the play’ – exploring with occupational therapists practice possibilities in the context of Irish schoolyards
title_short ‘Finding the play’ – exploring with occupational therapists practice possibilities in the context of Irish schoolyards
title_sort finding the play exploring with occupational therapists practice possibilities in the context of irish schoolyards
topic Critical action-research
consciousness
occupational justice
play
practice theories
school-based occupational therapy
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/11038128.2024.2361649
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AT margaretalilja findingtheplayexploringwithoccupationaltherapistspracticepossibilitiesinthecontextofirishschoolyards
AT mariaprellwitz findingtheplayexploringwithoccupationaltherapistspracticepossibilitiesinthecontextofirishschoolyards