| 1. |
- Bergin, Michelle
(författare)
-
Playing along (with)in the hard yard? Play, practices, and occupational justice in Irish schoolyards
- 2024
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis aims to generate knowledges on practice possibilities concerned with children’s play and occupational justice in Irish schoolyards. Navigating the intersections between theory and practice required an ongoing examination of the tensions and points of resonance between ideas, ideals, and practices. Drawing on critical occupational perspectives, four distinct yet interrelated studies contribute to the thesis aim, exploring play, particularly the play of children with minoritized identities, as an issue of occupational justice from diverse perspectives. Minoritized draws attention to the active social processes that create inequitable opportunities for children because of their identities relative to gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion, sexuality, and disability.In Study I, a scoping review using the Joanna Briggs institute methodology, showed a paucity of existing research on the play of Irish Traveller children, an ethnic minoritized community. Using an existing conceptual model to categorise reported influencing factors emphasized the distinct restricting factor of racism on Irish Traveller children’s play. To address the problematization of at-risk representations of Irish Traveller children, as reflective of culturist assumptions, greater attention to children’s own diverse constructions of play as a capability is proposed.Study II completed virtual and walking interviews with ten primary school teachers to explore their practices and experiences of particularly children with minoritized identities play in Irish schoolyards. The reflexive thematic analysis highlighted how prevailing norms interrelated with the locus of risks of exclusion to children’s individual choices and how teachers’ while valuing play, prioritised safety and an absence of conflict. Knowledges constructed on teachers and children negotiating individual and collective interests within diverse occupations in relationships (with)in the schoolyard, resonated with conceptualisations of collective occupations as constitutive with the production of the social space.Study III used individual and group walking interview methods to explore with 23 children their play in two Irish primary schools, identified as disadvantaged. Using the lens of the theory of practice architectures, the analysis highlighted children’s contrasting representations of play as habitual and emerging situated relational processes. Children’s acceptance of social hierarchies, individualistic and exclusionary social practices within schoolyards generated insights into the consequences of significant constraints and normative ideas on children’s play. Play was thus interrelated with the reproduction of what was termed the “hard yard”. However, the transformative potential of play was also suggested in how shared play created possibilities for fun, solidarity, and friendship.Study IV drawing on earlier studies, engaged six occupational therapists from diverse sites of practice in a critical action research inquiry to interrogate existing practices and generate practice possibilities focused on play and occupational justice in Irish schoolyards. Putting the theory of practice architectures to use again, the analysis drew attention to how habitual practices interrelated with constraints including circumscribed professional identities, service expectations and cultural norms to (re)produce practice possibilities, in tension with occupational justice ideals. Furthermore, the research process using dialogical focus group and occupational mapping methods provided a mechanism for raising consciousness that (re)mattered occupations and occupational justice.In conclusion, this thesis contributes nuanced understandings of play as socially situated practices interrelated with significant constraints and diverse social practices (with)in the particularities of Irish schoolyards. The ways in which inequities were (re)produced in habitual, individualistic, and exclusionary practices within schoolyards, and relationships of solidarity and fun were created within shared play supports understandings of the centrality of occupations to (in)justice. The insights generated problematized inclusive practices drawing attention to normative discourses, the individualising of choices, the neglect of substantive issues, such as racism and the significance of vulnerabilities and friendships. This thesis suggests practice possibilities that extend beyond play as an individual concern to consider ethical responsibilities to raise consciousness on the relational nature of collective practices with(in) shared spaces. Furthermore, in connecting (with) theorizing on occupation as collective, the theory of practice architectures and mechanisms of raising consciousness this thesis contributes to understandings of praxis.
|
|
| 2. |
- Bergin, Michelle, et al.
(författare)
-
Exploring with children, play in Irish primary schoolyards
- 2024
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Play. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2159-4937.
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Children’s play in Irish schoolyards remains neglected in educational policies and practices despite government commitments to inclusive schools and children’s rights. There is a dearth of research on children’s perspectives of play, criticisms of ‘at risk’ discourses underpinning concerns for certain children’s play rights, and studies identifying exclusion within Irish schoolyards, particularly for children with minoritized identities. This inquiry informed by the theory of practice architectures used walking interviews to explore with twenty-three children their play practices in two Irish primary schools identified as disadvantaged. Analysis of the interviews generated three themes: (1) the state of play – cracks with(in) the routines of the schoolyard, (2) playing along and with(in) this shared space and (3) the hard yard. This inquiry contributes to understandings of children’s play with(in) Irish schoolyards, as socially situated practices with contrasting representations of play as habitual and emerging. Play was central to children’s social lives, identities, and friendships and interrelated with diverse constraints, exclusionary practices, and the (re)production of the ‘hard yard’. While mattering most children’s experiences of significant constraints and inequities, this inquiry also highlighted the transformative possibilities generated within play to create shared possibilities for individual and collective flourishing.
|
|
| 3. |
- Bergin, Michelle, et al.
(författare)
-
‘Finding the play’- exploring with occupational therapists practice possibilities in the context of Irish schoolyards
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy. - 1103-8128 .- 1651-2014. ; 31:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundResearch has identified diverse constraints to the adoption of school-based occupational therapy approaches and a lack of attention to addressing the barriers to children’s play opportunities. Critical contextualised research is advocated to inform practice possibilities.Aims/ObjectivesThis inquiry aimed to explore with occupational therapists their existing practices in Irish schoolyards to generate practice possibilities concerned with play, as an issue of occupational justice.Materials and MethodsUsing the theory of practice architectures, six occupational therapists from diverse sites of practice participated in the first phase of a critical action research process using dialogical focus group and occupational mapping methods.ResultsThree themes were generated (1) Existing practices as situated (2) (Re)mattering play and practices as occupations and (3) Practice possibilities – ‘Finding the play’ between responsiveness and responsibilities. A further interrelated dimension was how the research methods provided mechanisms of raising consciousness.Conclusions, and SignificanceAlongside constructing knowledges on existing practices in an Irish context, this inquiry contributes to understandings of practices as socially embedded generative processes of ‘finding the play’, highlighting ethical responsibilities to make visible inequities reproduced in habitual practices and engage in relationships of solidarity to (re)construct alternative shared practices.
|
|
| 4. |
- Bergin, Michelle, et al.
(författare)
-
Irish Schoolyards: Teacher’s Experiences of Their Practices and Children’s Play-“It’s Not as Straight Forward as We Think”
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1941-1243 .- 1941-1251.
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- With the inclusion of play as a right, schools are urged to consider whether all children can access play opportunities in schoolyards. Refocusing on play as occupation is identified as an important way in which occupational therapists can contribute within schools. Greater knowledges of children’s play and teachers’ practices, in schoolyards in an Irish context, is required however to guide practices. This inquiry used interviews to explore with 10 primary school teachers, their practices, and experiences of children’s play in Irish schoolyards. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to generate three interrelated themes. These were a) Break(in)time: Play in schoolyards as different from other ways of doing within schools, b) play as producing inclusion and exclusion, c) and certainties and uncertainties produced in teachers’ everyday practices. This inquiry generated knowledges on the social nature of children’s play and teachers” practices in Irish schoolyards as negotiated processes, interacting with diverse intentions, and the particularities of each schoolyard. The consequences of individualizing choice were highlighted as central to the production of inclusion and exclusion in schoolyards. Greater consideration of how children’s play and teachers” practices occur as collective occupations, is proposed to advance inclusive schoolyards.
|
|
| 5. |
- Nyman, Anneli, et al.
(författare)
-
Information and communication technology in home-based rehabilitation – a discussion of possibilities and challenges
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1103-8128 .- 1651-2014. ; 30:1, s. 14-20
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Information and communication technology (ICT) has been proven to have effect in terms of providing alternative ways to deliver rehabilitation services. The intention with this paper is to serve as a foundation for discussions regarding the future development, design, and delivery of home-based rehabilitation, including ICT.Aim: To reflect on and discuss the possibilities and challenges of using ICT in home-based rehabilitation services.Method and material: We use experiences and results from various projects to reflect on and discuss possibilities and challenges related to the use of ICT in home-based rehabilitation.Findings and discussion: We exemplify how ICT present new possibilities that can increase the quality of the rehabilitation process and improve access to services. We reflect on some challenges in the use of ICT, related to non-user-friendly solutions, to the specific rehabilitation situation, and a lack of technical support. At an organisational level, readiness to use ICT can impact the extent to which new solutions are integrated into practice.Conclusion: We emphasise that ICT has the potential to develop and improve service delivery and contribute to increased quality and accessibility of home-based rehabilitation.
|
|
| 6. |
- Nyman, Anneli, et al.
(författare)
-
The Process of Using Participatory Action Research when Trying out an ICT Solution in Home-Based Rehabilitation
- 2022
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Qualitative Methods. - : Sage Publications. - 1609-4069. ; 21
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article describes the process of using PAR and discusses the strengths and challenges of adopting it as a methodology. With a pilot project “the rehabilitation journey†as a showcase, we share experiences of how we co-created knowledge and illustrate the actions taken and participants’ involvement in the process. This pilot project aimed to explore how ICT solutions can create new ways to deliver home-based rehabilitation that meet the needs of the organization, rehabilitation professionals, and older persons. Our experience is that using PAR as a research method had several strengths. Our project stemmed from demographic and epidemiological trends in society viewed as a “real life problem†experienced on different levels in the organization of home-based rehabilitation. At the same time, PAR was a challenging research method to use, as it was time-consuming and required the commitment and contribution over time of the different participants involved. There were also specific challenges that had to be considered regarding routines and regulations, as the pilot project was conducted in a health care context. This article aspires to offer methodological guidelines by using a six-step method to illustrate a PAR process. We propose that these guidelines can act as a tool to guide researchers in carrying out PAR.
|
|
