Activity analysis and education of occupational therapists: a study with intern preceptors at the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil

Abstract

The first undergraduate occupational therapy courses in Brazil were created in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 1963, the minimum curriculum of occupational therapy courses came into being with approval from the National Education Council, and in 1982, this curriculum was modified, thus strengthening the specificity of the profession. In the early years of the 2000s, there occurred further change with the approval of the curricular directives, which indicated the necessity of studies on human activities and the analysis of such activities. The aim of the present work is to identify the course from professional education to the application of activity analysis in the practice of occupational therapist intern preceptor at the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil. This is a descriptive field study carried out with 28 curricular intern preceptors from the occupational therapy course of the Federal University of Pernambuco. A total of 96% of the individuals surveyed were women with between 10 and 19 years experience (64%), predominantly in the areas of Mental Health and Neurology. The majority (88%) of the interviewees stated having studied activity analysis during their undergraduate studies; all affirmed that the study of activity analysis was necessary for occupational therapists; and 84% carried out analysis in their day-to-day professional life. It is evident that activity analysis, besides constituting knowledge in the literature, professional legislation and the education of occupational therapists, is also present in the daily practices of professional intern preceptors at the Federal University of Pernambuco.