Anti-racism and Occupational Therapy Education: Beyond Diversity and Inclusion

Sterman, Julia; Njelesani, Janet; Carr, Shanteria

Abstract

There is a pressing need to address racism within healthcare education; however, occupational therapy educators lack a compilation of discipline-specific knowledge of anti-racist actions. The objective of this study was to examine anti-racist instructional practices for educators to employ in occupational therapy education. We conducted a scoping review and systematically searched six electronic databases to identify and synthesize anti-racist educational practices within the occupational therapy literature. The 20 included articles identified that educators should: use collaborative, anti-racist teaching strategies throughout the curriculum; engage in reflexivity including how intersecting identities impact occupational engagement; decolonize curricula through including Indigenous content and non-Western practice frameworks; increase representation of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color students and faculty; and strengthen educators’ capacity to engage in anti-racist actions. To address systemic injustices to educational inclusion and prepare students to address health care inequities, occupational educators must engage in anti-racist actions across curriculum, programs, and universities.

Citation

Sterman, J., Njelesani, J., & Carr, S. (2022). Anti-racism and Occupational Therapy Education: Beyond Diversity and Inclusion. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 6(1), https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2022.060103

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 10, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Jan 28, 2022
• Publication Date: Jan 28, 2022
• Deposit Date: Mar 24, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 24, 2022
• Journal: Journal of Occupational Therapy Education
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 3
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2022.060103
• Keywords: Decolonizing, occupational therapy, cultural humility, reflexivity, BIPOC
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2857930