Synthesizing Research, Education, and Practice According to the Scholarship of Practice Model: Two Faculty Examples

Abstract

SUMMARYThe Scholarship of Practice involves an ongoing, reflective discourse among the theoretical concepts of occupational therapy, the empirical verification of those concepts through research, and the application of those concepts in real-world clinical practice. This article illustrates how the Scholarship of Practice framework is applied by occupational therapy faculty members as a key aspect of their scholarly and teaching roles. Two distinct perspectives are provided-one describes the scholarship and teaching of a clinical-track faculty member and the other describes that of a research-track faculty member. Both examples illustrate how each faculty member's work involves an integration of teaching and advising, scholarship (i.e., developing occupational therapy theory and conducting research), and practice. In both cases, the faculty member uses the Scholarship of Practice approach to better understand the kinds of problems and needs of clients and the ways in which practitioners can use knowledge generated by theory and research to most effectively address them. In turn, each faculty member relies heavily on the feedback from students and practitioners regarding the outcomes of the practical application of the concepts offered by theory and research. This feedback is then utilized to revise and refine existing theory, generate new research questions, and ultimately inform best occupational therapy practice. Finally the process serves as an ideal context for teaching and advising.