School-based practice: A partnership project between ESSAlcoitão and CECD Cooperativa para a Inclusão in occupational therapists training.

Abstract

Introduction: The occupational therapist is a professional who is present in inclusive education support teams. They recognise that being and participating in activities at school is one of the main occupations of children and young people. They are expected to be able to work collaboratively, with a focus on eliminating or reducing barriers to learning and inclusion. Objective: The aim of this paper is to present the design and analyze the impact of three years of implementation of a partnership project, within the scope of a curricular unit of the 3rd year of the degree, aimed at the approach of the occupational therapist in the school context. Material and Methods: The exploratory analysis and the content analysis of the questionnaires indicate that the selected methodology and the steps inherent to the project design proved to facilitate the development of the expected competences. Results: Framed in a qualitative research, a detailed exploratory analysis of the project design and a content analysis of the answers to the evaluation questionnaires, addressed to the partners, were carried out. Conclusion: This project proved to have an impact on the students and professionals involved. The structure used in its design promoted a good pedagogical practice, relevant for joint reflection and directed towards the community.