Photo of Jane Davis

Jane A. DavisLecturer

Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
(416) 946-8568
ja.davis@utoronto.ca

 

 

 

 

 

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Biosketch

Jane received a BSc (Psych) from McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and her BScOT and MSc from The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. She is a registered occupational therapist in Ontario and with the NBCOT (U.S.A.). Jane has worked as an occupational therapist with individuals of all ages with diverse occupational performance and engagement issues, within various settings, including inpatient general medicine, rehab, skilled nursing, mental health and addictions; outpatient paediatrics, and adult orthopaedics and neurology; and homecare – adult neurology and orthopaedics.


Jane's current research is focused on examining the causal mechanisms that have lead to the production and re-production of the current work-life balance discourse. She has presented her work at various conferences, including CAOT, CSOS, OSOT, AOTA, and WFOT, and published in occupation-based journals. Jane is a co-author of numerous book chapters, including five in Enabling Occupation II, three on occupational development, and one on methods of inquiry. Jane is also an associate editor of the upcoming text, Lifestyle balance: Multidisciplinary research and theories, along with Kathleen Matuska and Charles Christiansen (editors) and Helene Polatajko (associate editor). As a board member of the Canadian Society of Occupational Scientists (CSOS), Jane has been a co-editor, since 2003, of a column, on behalf of CSOS, entitled 'Sense of Doing' in OT Now.

Selected Recent  Publications

  1. Matuska, K., & Christiansen, C. (Eds.), with Polatajko, H., & Davis, J. (Assoc. Eds.). (2009). Lifestyle balance: Multidisciplinary research and theories. Bethesda, MD: AOTA Press and Slack, Inc.
  2. Davis, J. A., & Polatajko, H. J. (2010). Occupational development. In C. Christiansen & E. Townsend (Eds.), Introduction to occupation: The art and science of living (2nd ed.; pp. 135-174). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
  3. Reece, K. T., Davis, J. A., & Polatajko, H. J. (2009). The representations of work-life balance in Canadian newspapers. Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, 32(4), 431-442. (MScOT research student publication)
  4. Polatajko, H., Davis, J., Stewart, D., Cantin, N., Amoroso, B., Purdie, L. and Zimmerman, D. (2007). Specifying the domain of concern: Occupation as core. In E. A. Townsend & H. J. Polatajko, Enabling occupation II: Advancing an occupational therapy vision for health, well-being, and justice through occupation. (pp. 13-36). Ottawa, ON: CAOT Publications ACE.
  5. Davis, J., Craik, J. and Polatajko, H. (2007). Using the Canadian Practice Process Framework for Occupational Therapy: Amplifying the process. In E. A. Townsend & H. J. Polatajko, Enabling occupation II: Advancing an occupational therapy vision for health, well-being and justice through occupation. (pp. 247-272). Ottawa, ON: CAOT Publications ACE.

 

Recent Theses/Graduate Projects Supervised

  1. "Use of dynamic performance analysis during interventions by children with developmental coordination disorder". Melissa Hyland (MScOT Candidate), in prog – 2010. (Co-supervised with H. Polatajko)
  2. "Measuring occupational engagement". Jennifer Kennedy (MScOT Candidate), in prog – 2010.  (Co-supervised with H. Polatajko)
  3. "Measuring occupational engagement". Jacquie Robinson (MScOT Candidate), in prog – 2010.  (Co-supervised with H. Polatajko)
  4. “Passion in the performing arts: Clarifying active occupational participation”. Rachel Mullen (MScOT Candidate), 2009.
  5. “Understanding occupational outcomes: Person-occupation-environment as a chaotic system”. Tanya Poon (MScOT Candidate), 2009.

Research Interests

Jane's substantive area of interest is in occupational development across the life course, with her current focus in two areas:

  1. occupational development in children
  2. work-life balance discourses

Current Courses

OCT 1121H:  Research Issues and Approaches in Occupational Therapy

Special Lectures / Keynote Speeches

  1. Continuing professional development workshop: Infusing OCCUPATION into occupational therapy practice: Concepts and models for an evolving profession. University of Toronto – Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy.
  • January 14, 28, Feb 11, 25, Mar 25, 2009.
  • January 18, Feb 1, & Feb 15, 2007.
  1. Invited presentation: Pushing the boundaries of practice: The evolving Canadian occupational therapy perspective. Bloorview Kids Rehab, Toronto, ON. Nov 4, 2008. (with co-presenter Helene Polatajko).
  2. Invited presentation: Occupational science and its relationship to occupational therapy. Providence Healthcare Centre, Toronto, ON. May 1, 2008.
  3. Invited presentation: Life balance discourses – Why here? Why now? The responsibilities and privileges. Paper presented at the International Life Balance Conference, Kingston, ON., April 14th, 2007.

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