Appreciative Inquiry in Occupational Therapy Education

Abstract

The background to this study is the growing literature on the potential of applying appreciative inquiry (AI), commonly associated with business, to health care. As AI encourages creative thinking and is based on considering what can be done as opposed to what cannot, it seems suitable for educating occupational therapy students. To date, just one school of occupational therapy in the United Kingdom is known to have incorporated AI into its problem-based learning programme, whereby students are encouraged to think positively and creatively about clients and themselves. This study aimed to evaluate this pedagogic innovation with a focus on usefulness in practice placements. Method: Participants comprised students (n = 25) and relevant teaching staff (n = 6). Data collection was by semi-structured interviews with staff, and focus groups with students. Qualitative thematic content analysis was undertaken inductively. Findings: The findings suggested that students found AI an enjoyable and interesting learning method, and staff enjoyed teaching using this paradigm. Moreover, AI encouraged students to think more positively about clients on practice placement, especially in mental health settings. Conclusion: The implications for practice are an ability to think more creatively in therapeutic interventions, and to provide therapists with another tool that they could use when working with clients.

The Development of Recovery Competencies for In-patient Mental Health Providers Working with People with Serious Mental Illness

“…to think of what can be done instead of what cannot. As Rubin, Kerrel, and Roberts (2011) in their study of occupational therapy education concluded, both full-time occupational therapy students and teachers enjoyed using the AI approach. AI encourages thinking positively and looking at the situation through an enabling lens.…”

Problem-Based Learning Students' Perceptions of Knowledge and Professional Identity: Occupational Therapists as ‘Knowers’

“…Downing et al (2011) suggested that PBL enhanced students' ability to problem solve and to reason clinically, and Reeves et al (2004) maintained that metacognitive skills (like clinical reasoning), which occupational therapy students acquire through participating in PBL, mirror the skills needed for professional practice. Barrett (2010) and Rubin et al (2011) focused on students' involvement in PBL group work and the creative approaches used by students to address problem-based scenarios.…”

Appreciative Case Management: Using the Social Constructionism in Social Intervention

“…Therefore, in order to change an organisation, one must act on the way individuals interpret the organisation (Cooperrider and Srivastva, 1994). Whereas in the beginning the appreciative inquiry was used in organizational development (Cooperrider & Srivastva, 1987;Cooperrider & Srivastva, 1994;Cooperrider & Whitney, 2001;Cooperrider & Avital, 2004;Rattanaphan, 2010;Bushe, 2010), this strategy of change management has gradually expanded towards areas such as education (Yballe & O'Connor, 2000;Lander, 2002;Kumar & Chacko, 2010;Kelly, 2010;Bradu & Sandu, 2008, Cojocaru, 2011, healthcare (Hirunwat, 2011;Rubin, Kerrell, & Roberts, 2011), evaluation (Coghlan, Preskill & Catsambas, 2003;Cojocaru, 2008;Messerschmidt, 2008;Ojha, 2010;Kavanagh et al, 2010), therapy (Sandu & Ciuchi, 2010;Donaldson & Ko, 2010;Rubin, Kerrell & Roberts, 2011;Galazka, 2011;Wendt, Tuckey & Prosser, 2011), education (Kumar & Chacko, 2010;Kelly, 2010;Cojocaru, 2011), research methodology (Cojocaru, 2005;Reed, 2007;Kluger & Nir, 2010;Van Gramberg, 2010;Cowling & Repede, 2010), leadership in organizations (Ludema, Whitney, Mohr & Griffi n, 2003;Bushe & Kassam, 2005;Hart, Conklin & Allen, 2008). Our aim was to see to what extent the appreciative inquiry could be applied in various social work practices …”