Benefits of PAR: Part two!

I started this blog with a post on the benefits of participatory action research...now seems like a good time for review.

• Participatory action research is a good fit with client-centred practice and can further develop occupational therapists understanding and competence in working in partnership with individuals and communities. These are essential skills to embrace in our bicultural context. 

• The provision of occupational therapy services and the health and social issues that are faced by clients and communities are complex. The cyclical and open-ended process of participatory action research is ideally suited to investigate and address these issues. With a focus on empowerment participatory action research is a useful approach in community development and health promotion initiatives.

• Participatory approaches link theory development to practice and ensure research is based in the genuine concerns of communities and groups. Learning takes place for all parties involved and different types of knowledge should be valued equally. PAR has contributed to the development of theory and changes to practice within occupational therapy.

I have found the process of producing this blog a really useful method for organising my learning around this topic....The format of a blog...with the ability to connect diverse pieces of information (links, pdfs, images, video) has been a great tool to tease out complex concepts and develop my point of view on the benefits of participatory action research for occupational therapy.