New courses for Trojan horses: rethinking RPL in a South African teacher education curriculum

This article reflects on some of the findings of a research project which investigated the practice of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) within a major national teacher upgrading project in South Africa – the National Professional Diploma in Education (NPDE). The article analyses the ways in which a range of contextual factors have positioned RPL within the NPDE curriculum. Rather than support evaluations of RPL in the NPDE which have argued that RPL should be prior to rather than within the curriculum, the article uses and critically examines a theorized typology which characterizes RPL as ‘credit-exchange’, ‘developmental’, ‘radical’ and/or ‘Trojan horse’ to show how RPL in the NPDE has combined elements of these approaches in a distinctive way. The article suggests that the ‘Trojan horse’ model may provide the best framework for the use of RPL in linking qualifications-led professional development of practising teachers with other forms of continuing professional development. In conclusion the article reflects on how Trojan horse RPL could be included in critical engagement with the new national framework for teacher education and professional development.     

Education and the professionalization of nursing: non-collective action and the erosion of labourmarket control

It has been argued earlier in this journal that from the formation of the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC) in 1984, until the initiation in 1989 of NHS reform by the third Thatcher administration, nurse education policy development was dominated by a nursing establishment located largely within the UKCC. During this period, in the context of an educational reform, a non-collective professional project emerged which left around 30% of the nursing workforce marooned in an obsolescent occupational group. Drawing on documents from UKCC archives, this paper analyses that professional project in terms of professionalization theory, and argues that by following a non-collective agenda, UKCC eroded nursing's labour market position in relation to the provision of care in the National Health Service (NHS). It is further argued that this eroded labour market position has subsequently been exacerbated by government-led policy developments concerning vocational education and NHS reform, with a consequent weakening of nursing's influence on important aspects of caring work in the health service. Explanations for these aspects of the professional project are proposed relating to the fact that although wide-ranging in terms of the nature and practice of nursing, Project 2000 was positioned and conducted as an educational reform. While education provided the ‘political space’ (i.e. free from the immediate priorities and direct involvement of the NHS) for UKCC to assemble and promote its radical professional project, that project as a consequence was uninformed by cost and workforce planning issues. Late stage engagement between professional aspirations and service needs demonstrated the likelihood of an eroded labour market position for nurses, and high levels of risk for the NHS in terms of the supply of nurses, but by that point UKCC was already committed to the key elements of its original proposals.     

Academic Journal Publishing: Past,present and future

This article explores discourses of research in the ‘academisation’ of Swedish teacher education. It takes as its theoretical framework Foucauldian concepts of power and knowledge to analyse the moves to incorporate teacher education in the university. The study draws on a case study of teacher education in Sweden which used documentary and interview analyses to explore institutional history, and structures and shifts in teacher education and research from the 1950s onwards. The study shows how struggles over power and knowledge were constitutive of the development of a research‐oriented teacher education that emerged in a multilayered process involving a variety of actors at different levels. It also shows the tensions in the emergence and construction of a new research discipline. The article should be understood in the context of current international discourses where there is a need for a research base for teacher education.     

The academic career: contradiction as a key player in nursing education

ABSTRACT

Background: Within Europe, substantial changes in academia in recent years have transformed the work of academic nurses. The most important change has been a result of the Bologna Process, launched in 1999, as it has led to the implementation of significant reforms to higher education across participating European countries.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop a theoretical understanding of the effect of the Bologna Process on academic nurses’ professional development and explore academic nurses’ perceptions of the challenges and opportunities they encounter in the teaching and research arena.

Method: A qualitative study was conducted. The participants were eight academic nurses and data were collected through 24 in-depth, semi-structured weekly interviews. The analysis was performed using the constant comparative method, leading to the construction of categories based on the constant comparison of similarities and differences between the participants.

Findings: The coding process led to the identification and interpretation of the core category. This category, identified as ‘The academic career: Contradiction as a key player’, emerged as a result of analysis of the interaction of four categories: (1) opportunity for change, (2) unnecessary difficulties, (3) growth of the discipline and (4) institutional requirements. Findings indicated that the academic nurses in the study viewed the Bologna Process positively but noted several obstacles to its implementation. According to the participants, the changes also led to conflict in terms of their work–life balance.

Conclusions: This study is of relevance to nursing education and to clinical nursing practice. It suggests that the implementation of the Bologna Process in nursing studies has helped nurses to regard research as part of their autonomous professional role, and to be aware that research contributes to improve clinical practice, providing an evidence base on which to design and assess nursing interventions. However, the notion that academic nurses consider research within a contradiction paradigm is a potential barrier to the advancement of nursing science and evidence-based practice.     

Preschool teachers communicating values to children

This empirical study aims to find if and how preschool teachers communicate values they consider important for children to learn in preschool. The study is a part of a Nordic research project on values education in Nordic preschools. Values are understood as desirable principles that guide human actions. Theoretically, the study draws on a sociocultural perspective and Habermas’ theory of communicative action. The data consists of approximately 17?h of video observations of communication between preschool teachers and children. Two episodes were chosen for further analysis and in-depth discussion. Care, respect, and discipline had been agreed on as important values to communicate to preschool children. The preschool teachers used different approaches to communicate these values, depending on their professional and personal backgrounds. The values were communicated implicitly rather than explicitly. The study contributes to research on values education in the ECE and gives reasons for reflection on the practices of preschool teachers.     

Academic drift in Danish professional engineering education. Myth or reality? Opportunity or threat?

This article examines whether and, if so, to what extent academic drift can be said to have taken place in Danish professional engineering education. If the answer is affirmative, what were the driving forces behind it and what are the consequences – if any? First, a theoretical and conceptual framework for the discussion is introduced. This is followed by a case study of institutional change in higher education in Denmark, with a particular emphasis on two institutional examples, the two previously independent engineering colleges that recently merged with universities. The two examples are based on data gathered in interviews with teachers and management in these two engineering colleges (now both part of a university). In conclusion, based on the findings the questions posed in the title of this article are addressed and possible benefits and drawbacks of increased academisation of professional engineering education are discussed.     

The positive attitude approach for teaching in higher education: An untrodden path for policy and practice

This article reports on a study in which a new conceptual framework for fostering a positive attitude towards teaching in higher education (PATTHE) was developed. The PATTHE framework builds on a holistic four-dimensional theoretical concept and is not limited by the specificity of teaching within a particular discipline or national higher education context. The four dimensions of PATTHE pertain to (a) emotional dimension, (b) professional development, (c) constructivist approaches to teaching, and (d) the teaching and research nexus; all of which are relevant for empowering quality teaching at personal, institutional and/or national higher education policy levels. The purpose of our study was to test and analyse this conceptual framework. Creative qualitative research methods were used including identification of keywords, evoking participant opinions through visual materials, reactions to vignettes, and by documenting discussions regarding the proposed PATTHE conceptual framework. A purposive and critically informed approach was used for the selection of twelve higher education experts as research participants. Responses from the selected education developers were collected through an online protocol system. Research results revealed that participant reflections on a positive attitude towards teaching showed a high level of agreement with the proposed conceptual framework; the proposed theoretical concept is thereby deemed well-constructed and acceptable with minimal extensions.     

Further Towards An Analysis of PGCE Courses

Abstract

This article describes the author's experiences of tutoring on a College of Further Education BTEC course designed to enable qualified nurses to continue their professional education. In particular it focuses upon the relevance of an individual module on ‘Caring for Older People’ for enrolled nurses seeking conversion to registered nurse status. It discusses ways in which students who were keen to extend their knowledge and further their careers in nursing were poorly‐served by a system which stood to profit from their fees but which paid little attention to meeting their self‐defined most pressing needs.     

论远程教育学的理论研究与学科建设

尽管远程教育在19世纪中叶就已经存在,但对远程教育的理论研究、学科建设和大学教学的考察则表明,直到上世纪80年代末90年代初,远程教育才开始成为一个相对独立的学科和专业。在重构21世纪我国国民教育体系和终身教育体系的历史进程中,远程教育以其独特的优势和潜力,正在发挥不可替代的越来越重要的作用。加快远程教育学的理论研究和学科专业建设,推进远程教育人才的培养和在职培训,将对远程教育的质量保证和可持续的科学发展具有重大的理论指导意义和现实意义。     

The Theoretical Links Between Problem-based Learning and Self-directed Learning for Continuing Professional Nursing Education

Professional undergraduate nursing education programmes share the goal of preparing competent graduates who will successfully make the transition to the world of professional nursing practice. Furthermore, society demands continued professional accountability for competence in an era of exponential knowledge proliferation and technological change. One way to meet this demand is for every practicing professional to engage in continuing professional nursing education. If professional nurses are to maximize continuous learning, they need to be able to manage and monitor their own learning. This means that professional nurses engaged in continuous learning should have the ability to be self directed. The use of problem-based learning (PBL) as an instructional methodology in undergraduate nursing curricula has been identified as one way to facilitate the development of nursing students' abilities to become self-directed in learning. The theoretical links between PBL and self-directed learning are discussed.     

Teacher educators working on their own professional development: goals,activities and outcomes of a project for the professional development of teacher educators

This article reports on the professional development of teacher educators within the context of a national project, ‘Professional Quality of Teacher Educators,’ where a professional standard and a standards‐based procedure of (self‐)assessment and professional development have been created and effectively implemented. This project offered a unique opportunity to analyze the goals, activities and outcomes of the process of professional development of teacher educators in a situation in which this development is promoted by the professional group as a whole. In our research, we used 25 completed portfolio's made by teacher educators participating in the standards‐based procedure of (self‐)assessment and professional development. We found that teacher educators, participating in this procedure, prefer the development of their knowledge and skills over the development of their attitudes and beliefs. For their professional development, the teacher educators experiment with new activities within the work‐situation and interact with colleagues within their professional community, more than that they study theory or reflect on their work. The participating teacher educators experience a positive impact at the personal level (change in cognition and behavior). More than one‐third of them share outcomes with others. Above, they report a more positive self‐esteem and more enthusiasm for teacher education. This article may motivate other countries or institutions to invest in the professional development of teacher educators. Further research is necessary on the essence of the professional qualities of teacher educators and the relation of their professional development with student learning.     

钟敬文先生对新时期民俗学科的重大建树——兼谈《北京师范大学学报》与民俗学科的发展

北京师范大学民俗学国家重点学科与《北京师范大学学报》合作创办"民俗学专栏"20年,形成一批特殊理论资源。它反映了钟敬文先生等我国高校人文社科大家在改革开放的新时期所取得的历史成就,记载了我国民俗学在高等教育学科化方面的理论体系、教育模式和发展步骤。经过30余年的建设,现在我国民俗学科已建立了高层专业教育、地方教育、民族教育和普及教育等不同格局,提出了民俗学、民间文艺学和民俗文化学与相关学科群互补发展,同时保持学科独立性的阐释框架。钟先生还曾提出民俗学进入社会主义现代文化体系建设的一系列基本问题,钟先生的后学对此加以继承、发展和探索实践,使民俗学科产生了较大的社会影响,也吸引了更多的国际关注。     

Mentoring practices in workplace-based professional preparation: a critical analysis of policy developments in the Italian context

In recent years, the issue of early childhood staff professionalisation has been taking an increasingly prominent position in policy-making and academic debates at the international level. Despite this growing interest, studies investigating the content and delivery of professional preparation programmes for early childhood practitioners are still quite rare in European literature. Against this background, the article will describe and critically analyse the characterising features of the university degree for the professional preparation of pre-school teachers in Italy, with a special focus on workplace-based training. In particular, the theoretical underpinnings and shared understandings related to the implementation of mentoring practices within the university course will be explored by drawing on the data collected from documentary sources and interviews with local experts. Findings highlight that the main strengths of mentoring practices within such a programme are: (a) the extended placement periods in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings which allow prospective teachers to live the culture of practice; (b) the critically reflective component of tutoring practices, which combines theoretical and experiential learning; (c) the strong partnerships built at the local level between ECEC services and universities, which generates reciprocal influences between academic research and educational practices and thus sustains pedagogical innovation. At the same time, the fact that the mentoring role of placement tutors in ECEC institutions is not adequately supported in terms of competence development and workload allocation might potentially undermine the benefits of workplace-based training for students. In addition, the contextualisation of our analysis within the broader landscape of national policy developments in the field of ECEC staff professionalisation revealed that the increased academisation of pre-school teachers professional preparation might lead – in the long term – to a risk of ‘schoolification’ of pedagogical practices enacted within ECEC services. In regards to these issues, the article will raise questions for further consideration and debate.     

Cognition in history: A British perspective

In this article, I trace the teaching of history in schools from the subject's establishment as a university discipline in the 1870s through the crisis in school history in the 1960s. A number of factors prompted this heart searching: the questioning of the heavy emphasis on British national history, the changing nature of the discipline, and the increasing emphasis on technical and scientific education. The response of history educators was profoundly influenced by the views of Bloom (1956) and his associates, with their concern for taxonomies of educational objectives, and of Bruner (1960), with his stress on the need for teachers and students to be clear about the underlying principles that give structure to the subject; these ideas provided the organizing structure for the main history curriculum development project of the 1970s, the Schools Council History 13-16 Project (SCHP). Research into children's historical thinking based on the Piagetian developmental framework, however, seems to suggest that the SCHP was setting itself impossible goals; children were not really able to construe history in the ways the project demanded much before the age of 16. More recent research, which has adopted a different methodology, has advanced a much more optimistic view and points to the potential of children for real historical thinking. I conclude by examining the recently imposed History National Curriculum and the extent to which its assessment arrangements are underpinned by research, and I speculate on the likely effects of the new regime on the teaching and learning of history in England and Wales.     

Democracy,caring and competence: values perspectives in ECEC curricula in the Nordic countries

The aim of the study is to explore how Nordic Early Childhood Education and Care policies frame values education in preschools with a special focus on the values of democracy, caring and competence. The study is part of a larger Nordic project, Values education in Nordic preschools: Basis of education for tomorrow, the aim of which is to explore values education from various perspectives, policy levels, institutional levels and personal levels. The study applies Habermas’s theoretical ideas of communicative actions, lifeworld, and the system. Here the focus is on the system level, namely, values in national curriculum guidelines that serve as the basis of pedagogical practices in preschools in the Nordic countries. Thematic research analysis described by Braun and Clarke inspired the qualitative analysis of the documents. In addition, a quantitative language-based approach was applied to the study. Keywords related with democratic, caring and competence values were selected. The findings reveal different dimensions and meanings of the three value fields, such as democracy as being and/or becoming; care as fulfilment of basic needs and an ethical relationship; and competence values as learning for sociality and academic skills.     

Designing Nordic technology-enhanced learning

The latest developments of information and communication technologies (ICT) and its large penetration in different sectors of our society pose new challenges and demands in the field of education. This special issue entitled “Designing Nordic technology-enhanced learning (TEL)”, presents and discusses how researchers in the Nordic countries are currently framing and thinking about issues that are related to pedagogical design of learning spaces, digital literacies, educational professional development, design of tools engaging students in collaborative inquiry learning as well as design-oriented multimodal understandings of learning.The objective pursued with the special issue has been to reflect upon current problems that educational institutions, practitioners and TEL researchers are facing in the Nordic countries as regards the acknowledgment of young people's ICT practices within formal education. Such analytical work has led us to identify and elaborate on what we believe constitute forthcoming research challenges for learning and education in the Nordic countries.     

Redefining what it means to be a teacher through professional standards: implications for continuing teacher education

This article connects with an international debate around the place of professional standards in educational policy targeted at enhancing teacher quality, with associated implications for continuing teacher education. Scotland provides a fertile context for discussion, having developed sets of professional standards in response to a recent national review of career-long teacher education. That review called for a reprofessionalisation of the teaching profession and the revision of the standards was an element of this process. Scotland is utilised as a lens through which one country’s response to international trends is viewed, with a focus on ‘teacher leadership’ and ‘practitioner enquiry’ as policy endorsed sets of practices. The analysis demonstrates the complex and contested nature of these terms and the tensions posed between the need to meet professional standards as part of teacher education and aspirational dimensions of the current policy project of reprofessionalisation. The article concludes by considering the implications for continuing teacher education.     

Factors Influencing Nursing Students’ Intention to Practice Sexuality Education in their Professional Work

Abstract

Sexuality has an essential part in human lives and can be affected by changes in one’s health status. Since the nursing profession delivers holistic care for patients, nurses must have the knowledge and skills to deliver care concerning sexuality. Evidence from the professional literature demonstrates that nurses do not address sexuality care consistently, mainly due to different factors such as lack of knowledge, skills, and cultural attitudes. This study’s purpose was to learn about the factors that affect nursing students’ willingness to grasp the nurse’s role as a sexuality educator in practice prior to establishing a specified course in sexual education for BSN students. A quantitative study was conducted in a college at the center of Israel, with a convenience sample of nursing students in a BSN program (n?=?214). The research tool was a questionnaire designed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and willingness of nursing students to practice sexuality education in the future. The study’s approach was based on Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior. Results indicated that self-efficacy is the main mediator between attitudes and intentions. There is a need to reinforce nursing student’s self-efficacy on the subject to increase their intention to practice it in the future.     

在职护士分层次培训实践探索

护理人员在职培训是护理专业技术人员不断进行知识技能的补充、更新、拓宽和提高的一种继续教育。为了适应医学科学发展需要,为患者提供更安全、高效的护理,建立一支业务素质高、结构合理的护理专业技术队伍非常重要。因此必须加强不同层次在职护士培训。结合临床实际建立完善的在职护士分层次培训方案;加强分层培训管理、确保培训计划的执行落实;选择成人学习为特点的培训,保证培训效果是关键。在职护士分层培训使护士既快又安全地获得专业训练,提高了综合素质,降低了职业风险,同时利于不同层次的护士向着护士成长规范化、专业化方向发展。