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Professional Learning (professional + learning)
Selected AbstractsGood work , how is it recognised by the nurse?JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 12 2008Bjørg Christiansen Dr. Polit. Aim., The aim of this paper is to shed light on how nurses describe situations that reflect achievement and provide confirmation that they have done good work. Background., Nurses' recognition of good work does not seem to have been the object of direct investigation, but is indirectly reflected in studies focusing on nurses' perceptions on work environments and the multifaceted nature of nursing. However, acknowledging high-quality performance in professional nurses can facilitate nurses in maintaining and strengthening the goals and values of the profession. This in turn can help nurses shoulder the multifaceted responsibilities they have to patients and next of kin. Design., This paper is part of the Professional Learning in a Changing Society project, Institute of Educational Research, University of Oslo, funded by the Research Council of Norway. The project involves four professional groups. This paper, however, focuses on a group of 10 nurses, nine of whom work in hospitals and one in an outpatient clinic. A qualitative approach was chosen to gain insight into how nurses, as well as the other professional groups in the project, engage in processes of knowledge production and quality assurance work. Methods., Data presented in this paper derive from semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted during spring 2005 and focuses on the recognition of good work. Results., The following themes were identified as essential in confirming that one did good work: securing fundamental needs of patients and next of kin; managing the flow of responsibilities; positive feedback. Conclusions., Good work seems to be related to specific situations and a sense of achievement by the respondents. Relevance to clinical practice., Recognition of good work is not only rewarding and enjoyable; it may also serve as a source of consciousness raising for professional and ethical guidelines in the work place. [source] Enhancing Part-time Teaching in Higher Education: a Challenge for Institutional Policy and PracticeHIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY, Issue 4 2007Peter Knight Higher education in the UK has seen a steady increase in the numbers of part-time teachers, yet the way in which they are inducted into teaching and the utilisation of their expertise are under-researched. This qualitative study of 33 part-time teachers from several universities suggests that their involvement in higher education should be considered from a fresh perspective, which differs from approaches to the enhancement of university teaching that rely upon simply educating individual teachers to do better by requiring their attendance at formally provided courses and events. While these approaches have their place, modern research on professional learning is increasingly pointing to the view that professional formation is an ecological process that is insufficiently served by the formal provision of learning opportunities. The ecological perspective, which emphasises the part played by the everyday workplace in professional formation, provides a challenge to leaders and managers regarding the development and implementation of institutional policy and practice. [source] The impact of a classroom intervention on grade 10 students' argumentation skills, informal reasoning, and conceptual understanding of scienceJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 8 2010Grady J. Venville Abstract The literature provides confounding information with regard to questions about whether students in high school can engage in meaningful argumentation about socio-scientific issues and whether this process improves their conceptual understanding of science. The purpose of this research was to explore the impact of classroom-based argumentation on high school students' argumentation skills, informal reasoning, and conceptual understanding of genetics. The research was conducted as a case study in one school with an embedded quasi-experimental design with two Grade 10 classes (n,=,46) forming the argumentation group and two Grade 10 classes (n,=,46) forming the comparison group. The teacher of the argumentation group participated in professional learning and explicitly taught argumentation skills to the students in his classes during one, 50-minute lesson and involved them in whole-class argumentation about socio-scientific issues in a further two lessons. Data were generated through a detailed, written pre- and post-instruction student survey. The findings showed that the argumentation group, but not the comparison group, improved significantly in the complexity and quality of their arguments and gave more explanations showing rational informal reasoning. Both groups improved significantly in their genetics understanding, but the improvement of the argumentation group was significantly better than the comparison group. The importance of the findings are that after only a short intervention of three lessons, improvements in the structure and complexity of students' arguments, the degree of rational informal reasoning, and students' conceptual understanding of science can occur. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47: 952,977, 2010 [source] From personal reflection to social positioning: the development of a transformational model of professional education in midwiferyNURSING INQUIRY, Issue 4 2002Diane Phillips A transformational model of professional identity formation, anchored and globalized in workplace conversations, is advanced. Whilst the need to theorize the aims and methods of clinical education has been served by the techno-rational platform of ,reflective practice', this platform does not provide an adequate psychological tool to explore the dynamics of social episodes in professional learning and this led us to positioning theory. Positioning theory is one such appropriate tool in which individuals metaphorically locate themselves within discursive action in everyday conversations to do with personal positioning, institutional practices and societal rhetoric. This paper develops the case for researching social episodes in clinical education through professional conversations where midwifery students, in practice settings, are encouraged to account for their moment-by-moment interactions with their preceptors/midwives and university mentors. It is our belief that the reflection elaborated by positioning theory should be considered as the new epistemology for professional education where professional conversations are key to transformative learning processes for persons and institutions. [source] Teachers making connections: Online communities as a source of professional learningBRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Jennifer Duncan-Howell The impact of the Internet on our lives has been pervasive. People are increasingly turning to the social interaction available on the Internet to satisfy their needs, whether these are professional or personal. The Internet offers users fast access to social contacts such as online chat groups and discussion lists, helping us to make connections with others. Online communities are being increasingly used by teachers for professional support, guidance and inspiration. These are often organised around subject areas and offer teachers opportunities to develop both personally and professionally. Online communities may present as a source of continuous professional development for teachers as they are able to deliver authentic and personalised opportunities for learning. This paper will present the findings of a study that was conducted on three online communities for teachers. It will explore the nature of online community membership and offer some conclusions regarding their potential as a source of professional learning for teachers. [source] | |||||||||||||