Conference Agenda

Mentoring has proven to be an effective strategy for helping healthcare students manage the stress of academic demands and the transition into clinical practice. However, there remains a gap in understanding how gender and cultural factors impact mentoring relationships. Specifically, the role of the mentoring relationship among racially and ethnically minoritized (REM) occupational therapy practitioners has been insufficiently studied. This qualitative, descriptive study explored how racially and ethnically minoritized occupational therapy practitioners perceived the role of the mentoring relationship during their academic training. Thirty-one participants were recruited through purposive sampling. Participants who identified as REM individuals and who completed occupational therapy (OT) or occupational therapy assistant (OTA) training within the United States were interviewed. Through semi-structured interviews, analysis of the data reflected five key categories: (1) authenticity of interpersonal relationships, (2) understanding of psychosocial needs, (3) the toil of emotional labor and identity work, (4) importance of community and authentic support, and (5) representation and diversity of shared experiences. The findings provided specific recommendations from REM practitioners regarding valued components of mentoring relationships, desired topics for discussion, and supports needed for success. These insights offer considerations for developing mentoring programs for students in occupational therapy programs. These considerations uplift the voices of REM occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant students and provide insight into their mentoring needs as they transition from the academic setting into professional practice.

Introduction
Ethnic minority groups in the UK, particularly African and Caribbean communities, experience persistent health inequalities, including higher rates of early-onset obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These disparities contribute to reduced life expectancy and quality of life. Positive deviance offers an asset-based approach to health promotion by identifying individuals who achieve better health outcomes despite facing similar challenges.

This research explored how leaders from African and Caribbean communities conceptualise positive deviants (individuals who maintain healthy lifestyle behaviours despite facing common challenges) to inform a community-defined criteria for recruitment.

Methods
This qualitative study was conducted in Greater Manchester and Leicestershire. Fifteen community leaders from African and Caribbean backgrounds across various sectors were purposively sampled for their insight into community dynamics. To address historical mistrust and low research participation, a community-based referral approach was used alongside recruitment call on social media. Semi-structured interviews explored perceptions of diet and physical activity. Data was analysed thematically using inductive and deductive approaches.

Results

Food was found to hold deep cultural significance, serving as a means of expressing joy, care, and connection. This social relationship with food, while positive, can hinder the adoption of healthier behaviours. Two key dimensions emerged in identifying positive deviants (PDs) with respect to diet and physical activity: challenges and motivations. Despite facing barriers such as demanding work schedules, financial pressures, migration-related stress, and chronic health conditions, PDs will tend to adopt healthier lifestyles. Their motivations included managing medical diagnoses, improving physical appearance and wellbeing, achieving longevity to enjoy family life, and maintaining independence in later years. This community defined criteria will inform recruitment of PDs for this community.

Discussion
Community leader engagement uncovered key cultural factors vital for recruiting PDs. Future research will use photovoice to explore how PDs sustain healthy lifestyles.

Since the early 2000s, creative methods have seen widespread adoption in the social sciences on a global scale. This development has been driven by the need to design research strategies capable of engaging marginalized or hard-to-reach social groups – such as children, migrants, prisoners, people experiencing homelessness, members of cultural minorities, and persons with disabilities – who are often inaccessible through traditional methods. At the same time, these new approaches reflect a broader shift toward research practices that are more participatory, inclusive, and dialogue oriented. Creative methods not only expand the methodological repertoire of social research but also contribute to redefining power relations between researchers and participants, prompting a critical reflection on the processes through which scientific knowledge is produced and legitimized.

In this contribution, based on a national research project on primary school funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, we present a study conducted using creative methods aimed at exploring the attitudes of children aged 7 to 9 toward mathematics. The research activities, which involved a total of 148 pupils, explored a variety of dimensions, such as returning to school after the summer holidays, attitudes toward numbers, homework, and the use of digital devices. The activities were carried out in the school context and employed a variety of playful tools and materials: a poster to explain the rules of the game; a mascot to manage turn-taking during discussions; animated post its, laminated figures, and visual materials designed to encourage participation and dialogue.

The study’s findings articulate a nuanced and multifaceted conceptualization of children’s relationship with schooling and with mathematics, underscoring the pivotal role of socio-cultural background and the pedagogical models experienced at school.