Teacher Perspectives on Collaboration with Occupational Therapists in Inclusive Classrooms: A Pilot Study

The purpose of the study was to understand the perspectives of teachers toward occupational therapists who work in regular educational inclusive classroom settings and to measure the current level of collaboration. A sequential exploratory mixed methodological design included 2 phases: phase I to collect qualitative interview data; phase 2 to collect quantitative data through a survey questionnaire. Two focus group meetings, consisting of 5 school teachers, were conducted, each lasting 60 min. After the interview, data were analyzed; a sample of 39 teachers participated in the survey research. The Teacher Questionnaire About Occupational Therapy with Special Education Students was adapted and used in this study. Three major themes surfaced from phase I of this study: (a) teacher knowledge of occupational therapy. (b) communication flow, and (c) implementing intervention. The results from phase 2 coincided with the qualitative findings and demonstrated a low level of collaboration. The "periodic scheduled verbal meeting" was the preferred method of collaborative planning. The results provide implications and strategies for linking education, research, and practice in school-based occupational therapy.