Teaching Theories of Occupation in Occupational Therapy Translating Theory to Practice

Foreword I      Unsettling the Future

Lilian Magalhães

Foreword II     Teaching Occupation as a Political, Ethical, and Collective Act

Rodolfo Morrinson

Foreword III    Bringing Occupation to Life in Education

Heather Baglee

Preface

Section 1         Foundations of Occupation-Centred Education

1                      Occupation-Centred Education in Occupational Therapy: Pedagogies, Principles, and the Path to Student Potential

Daniel Cezar da Cruz and Angela Murphy

2                      Teaching Occupational Science: Dialogues, Reflexivity, and the Power of Occupation

Daniel Cezar da Cruz, Elvin Williams and Michelle Perryman-Fox

3                      Teaching Occupation-Centred Practice

Jane A. Davis and Angela M. Benfield

Section 2         Building Dialogues with Occupation-Centred Education

4                      Teaching Occupation Through the Dimensions of Doing, Being, Belonging, and Becoming

Daniel Cezar da Cruz, Rob Brooks and Steven D. Taff

5                      Thinking/Doing Social Occupational Therapy: Theory and Practice in Professional Action and Education

Patrícia Leme de Oliveira Borba, Magno Nunes Farias and Roseli Esquerdo Lopes

6                      Occupational Justice as Praxis: Educating for Liberation, Inclusion, and Human Rights

Daniel Cezar da Cruz, Clement Nhunzvi and Roshan Galvaan

7                      Cultivating Professional Identity Through Occupation-Centred Practice Placement Models

Miranda Thew, Fiona Howlett and Daniel Cezar da Cruz

Appendix:       Glossary- Concepts of Occupations with References

Biography

Daniel Cezar da Cruz is a senior lecturer in Occupational Therapy at Leeds Beckett University, School of Health, MSc (Pre-registration) and BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy Programmes, and MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration) Programme Admissions Tutor. Between 2019–2025, he was Visiting Professor at Wrexham Glyndwr University (now Wrexham University, Wales), delivering a number of student workshops and working on International Collaboration.

"This comprehensive book will enable educators to discuss teaching and learning about the occupation and its multiple layers. It can support a curriculum grounded in occupational science, including learning activities and teaching methods that promote critical thinking, reflexivity, and evidence-based or informed practice in occupational therapy."

Luzia Iara Pfeifer, Occupational Therapy Programmes, Federal University of São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil

 

"This is a unique and creative approach to teaching occupational therapy theory and occupational science. It incorporates critical thinking, learning activities and instructional strategies to reinforce a student’s understanding of the fundamental concepts of occupational therapy, including occupational justice. The book provides the reader with numerous teaching approaches that are based on experience and empirical data."

Franklin Stein, Professor Emeritus, University of South Dakota, USA

 

"This collection bridges theory and practice in occupational therapy education through diverse, reflective, and justice-centered dialogues. Grounded in occupation-centred pedagogy, it empowers educators to reimagine teaching for inclusion, critical thinking, and meaningful engagement. A must-read for faculty and field educators seeking to deepen student learning while advancing transformative, socially responsive practice across global contexts." 

Janet Njelesani, Associate Professor, New York University Department of Occupational Therapy, USA