A Course in Autoethnography: Fostering Reflective Practitioners in Occupational Therapy

Abstract

This paper describes an academic course designed to lay the foundation for reflective practice in occupational therapy. In this course, students conduct highly personalized research based on experiences in Level II fieldwork that leads to writing an autoethnography. The paper describes autoethnography, details its use in occupational therapy literature, and discusses the design and outcomes of the course. Students' experiences with this autobiographical genre of qualitative research are illustrated. In the writing process, students find clinical stories that must be told and learn to “move around” in their stories. The outcomes of the course include integration of personal and professional experiences, closure to academic preparation, and deep reflection about what it means to be an occupational therapist.

KEYWORDS:

• Qualitative research
• occupational therapy education
• reflective practice