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“This is my take-home for life!”: professional practice learning on a Community of Practice* * This article is part of the doctoral dissertation authored by Taís Quevedo Marcolino and supervised by Aline Maria de Medeiros Rodrigues Reali, entitled “A porta está aberta: aprendizagem colaborativa, prática iniciante, raciocínio clínico e terapia ocupacional” (The door is open: collaborative learning, novice practice, clinical reasoning and occupational therapy), which was financed (under no. 06/07152-7) by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP). A part of it was published as a complete work in the Proceedings of the XI National Meeting of Occupational Therapy Professors (Rev Ter Ocup Univ São Paulo. 2008; 19 Supl 1:1-189).

The learning of practice demand educational strategies focused on reflective and collective processes, such as the Community of Practice (CoP). From an action research directed to the contributions of a mentoring program for professional development, organized in a CoP, with the participation of six junior occupational therapists and three experienced ones, this paper tries to elucidate relevant features for professional learning on the program. The speech and diaries of the participants at the last evaluation meeting were submitted to thematic analysis and the results indicate the importance of: a space for reflection on a continuous basis; the mentor’s actions in fostering reflection; the exchanges between experts and beginners. The CoP, as a rich design for learning, enabled breaking stereotypies and creating new meanings, favoring the development of all involved.

Inservice Education; Qualitative research; Health knowledge, attitudes and practice; Health manpower; Occupational Therapy


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