CRITICAL REFLEXIVITY AND KNOWLEDGE GENERATION IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Summary of the Symposium: This symposium presents a collection of contributions on critical reflexivity and knowledge generation in professional practice. Timetable: Three Papers-20 minutes each; Discussion-30 minutes. ... [ view full abstract ]

Summary of the Symposium:
This symposium presents a collection of contributions on critical reflexivity and knowledge generation in professional practice.

Timetable:
Three Papers-20 minutes each; Discussion-30 minutes.

Background:
Within the discipline of occupational therapy, critical reflexivity has been described as an approach to interrogating the social conditions in which disciplinary knowledge is produced, as an approach to knowledge generation, and as a means to reveal taken-for-granted assumptions (Kinsella & Whiteford, 2009; Phelan, 2011). Although regularly touted as important, the concept of critical reflexivity is relatively new to conversations surrounding occupational therapy practice, education and research (McCorquodale & Kinsella, 2015). Further the concept is the the early stages of conceptualization, and few studies have revealed how it might be applied.

Method:
In response, this symposium brings together three papers. Paper 1 offers a theoretically rich introduction to critical reflexivity, and considers the implications for socially situated knowledge generation. Paper 2 demonstrates the generative potential of embodied reflexivity as it relates to the cultivation of knowledge. Paper 3 engages in critical reflexivity to interrogate taken-for-granted personal/practice in the area of mental health occupational therapy.

Results:
Collectively, these papers demonstrate how critical reflexivity may fruitfully be employed to challenge taken-for-granted assumptions, open generative interpretive possibilities and advance practice-based disciplinary knowledge.

Conclusion:
Critical reflexivity has important implications for the field of occupational therapy.

Application to Practice:
Occupational therapists, educators and students are well positioned to employ critical reflexivity in the interests of generating individual and disciplinary knowledge to improve practice, education and research.