DEVELOPING AGENTS OF CHANGE: EMBEDDING GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

Background and Educational Philosophy: Occupational therapists working in South Africa need to be able to provide excellent clinical care while also working as agents of change within an under-resourced health and social care... [ view full abstract ]

Background and Educational Philosophy: Occupational therapists working in South Africa need to be able to provide excellent clinical care while also working as agents of change within an under-resourced health and social care system. Transformative learning, which develops these skills, can only occur by integrating desired graduate attributes into the curriculum (Barrie, 2007).

Educational Approach: This paper presents the findings of a project that embedded graduate attributes within curriculum renewal for the first year of the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (B OT) degree at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

Evaluation: We used collaborative inquiry to engage occupational therapy staff and students in a series of cycles of planning, action, and reflection before and during the curriculum renewal process. Data were drawn from curriculum development documents, staff workshops, four focus groups with the staff team, student class meetings, and a survey of first year students. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes within and across six graduate attribute domains.

Findings: The theme 'Inside and Outside the Classroom' showed our renewed curriculum and wider University experiences are both important to the development of graduate attributes. 'From Person to Professional' also highlighted the need to focus on students as individuals in the first year.

Application: The development of graduate attributes is a process that only begins in the first year, rather than a product that can be accurately assessed.

Reference:

Barrie, S. C. (2007). A conceptual framework for the teaching and learning of generic graduate attributes. Studies in Higher Education, 32(4), 439-458.