In recent years, there has been a notable growth in the use of focus groups within occupational therapy. It is important to understand what kind of knowledge focus-group methodology is meant to acquire. The purpose of this article is to create an understanding of the basic assumptions within focus-group methodology from a theory of science perspective in order to elucidate and encourage reflection on the paradigm. This will be done based on a study of contemporary literature. To further the knowledge of basic assumptions the article will focus on the following themes: the focus-group research arena, the foundation and its core components; subjects, the role of the researcher and the participants; activities, the specific tasks and procedures. Focus-group methodology can be regarded as a specific research method within qualitative methodology with its own form of methodological criteria, as well as its own research procedures. Participants construct a framework to make sense of their experiences, and in interaction with others these experiences will be modified, leading to the construction of new knowledge. The role of the group leader is to facilitate a fruitful environment for the meaning to emerge and to ensure that the understanding of the meaning emerges independently of the interpreter. Focus-group methodology thus shares, in the authors' view, some basic assumptions with social constructivism.

No abstract

The aim was to explore experiences of daily occupations among the oldest old. Ten 99-year-old persons were interviewed in their living environment about an ordinary day. The interviews were analysed according to the phenomenographic approach. The result showed that participants regarded themselves as competent and that they felt proud because they were involved in daily occupations. Being challenged was experienced as a way of performing difficult tasks, thus being confirmed as a capable person who performs and learns new things. The participants' occupational patterns preserve occupational ability and continuity in life in that they have a rhythm and allow the individuals to predict and handle interruptions. Participants experienced being incapable and being restricted as a result of personal, environmental, and social hindrances. The participants adapted to and reshaped their sense of self, which has been disrupted due to the discrepancy between self, the person's ability, and the real world "outside". Experience of daily occupation is unique, supports the sense of self, builds identities, and describes engagement and creative processes. Individual experience must be recognized as it can mean the difference between success and failure in maintaining meaningful daily occupation.

Background: How students are introduced to their studies will affect the quality of learning. This project deals with tools for lifelong learning to increase students' awareness of learning how to learn. In parallel to an introductory course for students, a course for teachers was given with a focus on tutoring students. Aims: To evaluate an interprofessional transition course for first-year health science students, the LearnAble project, and a teachers' course aiming to support students to be successful in their learning. Method: The project was followed up by a computer-based course evaluation, reflective journals, the Learning Process Questionnaire and the Approaches to Teaching Inventory. The questionnaires were distributed before and after the courses. Teachers (n ¼ 31) and students (n ¼ 270) in two courses from different health educations participated. Results: Students' approaches to the course and to learning could be described as technical/reproductive, seeking for an identity or as reflective/transformative. The evaluation indicates that a deep approach to the studies among the students was related to higher age and female gender. Teachers with earlier pedagogical education supported students more in the attempts to question their own understanding. Conclusion: The most obvious result was the positive impact of being a tutor for a group of students in parallel to studying pedagogy.

There is a need for further development of physiotherapy in Afghanistan. Active and individually adapted treatment methods, clinical reasoning processes and evidence-based practice should be encouraged. There are several challenges in this, based on Afghan culture and traditions, gender issues, religious factors, an authoritative society, a medical approach in treatment, and isolation and limitations in access to information. By means of an Action Research project the physiotherapists could be included in further development and research to promote a sustainable and culturally relevant development.

This article addresses the question of two cultures, that is, the relationship between the culture of natural scientists and the culture of literary intellectuals, a distinction made by C. P. Snow in his 1959 lecture, The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. This reading of Snow draws from the theoretical and methodological strategies discussed by scholars interested in the supposed dichotomy between literature and science. Similar trends also can be found in social studies of science, where the constructive and rhetorical practices of scientists have been emphasized.

In an evaluation project at the Goteborg University, we have looked at the relationship between individual and collective production of knowledge within the Health sciences in order to facilitate a common ground for a Academy of Health Sciences. We found obstacles for developing an environment which could stimulate multilateral co-operation and creativity. Some of these obstacles have their root in the different cultural backgrounds indicated in the analysis and makes it difficult to find common aims and strategies. The Model used makes the organizations' activities visible and encouraging transdisciplinary contacts and improve organizational, structural and ideological decision making emanating from overall policies of the boards concerned.