Theory and Practice within HE Professional Education Courses: Integration of Academic Knowledge and Experiential Knowledge .

If we look historically at professional education we can see a movement from what Bines and Watson (1992) call a ‘technocratic’ (or technical-rational) model to what they call a ‘post-technocratic’model - one primarily concerned with professional knowledge and action/process rather than academic knowledge and content. Emphasis is placed on professional development, a practitioner’s theories-in-use, knowledge for practice, and on the skills required to use reflection, observation, analysis and evaluation to develop practice. Particular methods of learning and teaching concerned with enquiry, analysis, experience and reflection are advocated. If this model is fully embraced, the type of learning involved (especially when undertaken by qualified workers) is quite different from that of a more traditional, discipline-based, technocratic model. Firstly, it encompasses different ways of knowing, i.e. more subjective, reflexive, and implicit practice-based understanding. Secondly, it can also produce a different type of knowledge in the form of practice theory. The associated learning processes tend to be interpretive and inductive (Nixon and Murr 2006) and can form a more integrative relationship between practice knowledge and theory that encompasses ‘being’ and a personal ethical stance (Margetson 2000; Tynjala et al 2003)

Personal epistemology

Personal epistemology is a complex and contested area (Schraw 2001) with a number of approaches (i.e. as beliefs, development models, resources). However, regardless of the various approaches, personal epistemology appears to consist of specific dimensions that comprise individual understanding of knowledge and knowing and which influence comprehension, cognitive processing, and conceptual change learning (Hofer 2004). Students’ personal epistemology could be an important factor in their ability to engage with certain pedagogies in higher education (e.g. problem based learning, reflective learning) and their required levels of knowledge handling and production. There is evidence to suggest that epistemological views should be addressed in helping students cope with higher education (Kember 2001). The workshop will consider the idea that personal epistemology can be: ‘…a lens to use in understanding students’ ideas and behaviour, in assessing students’ abilities and needs, and in adapting their plans and strategies for instruction.’ (Hammer and Elby 2002, p169) However, the danger of pigeon-holing students is ever present! The workshop will therefore critically explore current thinking on personal epistemology and relate it to specific contexts and subject domains. We will look at how views on knowledge and knowing might impact on learning, and reflect on how increased understanding might allow improved methods of preparing and developing learners to deal with the constructed and complex nature of learning

Service improvement in social work and health. An e-guide for practitioners and managers

This book aims to provide practitioners and managers working within social care and health environments with the knowledge to be able to ask precise questions of a potential service improvement project

Post qualifying specialist awards: approaches to enabling work-based learning in social work

All post-qualifying social work specialist awards are required to include ‘enabling the learning of others’, so that specialist social workers can provide basic support to learners in the workplace (GSCC 2006). This paper reports on a new programme unit we have designed at Bournemouth University. Our overall approach encompasses the necessary competences, but also provides for a more holistic and flexible outcome – capability. We follow the ideas of authors such as Lester (1995), Fook et al. (2000), and Barnett & Coate (2005) who show that professional development is more concerned with approaches and processes rather than fixed knowledge and outcomes. They place importance on practitioners developing the ability to identify and interpret the multifaceted nature of situations whilst considering a range of alternative options, in order to deal with the complexity and uncertainty of practice. The type of practice learning required to develop such skills, abilities and attributes is also necessarily rich in complexity. As Cheetham and Chivers (2001) point out there is no single theory of learning in the workplace and there is danger in placing too much reliance on a single approach. In accordance with the ideas above we advocate a mindset of continuing learning through critically reflective practice and collaboration with others. The presentation will discuss our learning materials and pedagogy, which aim to not only encourage and develop active, experiential, and critically reflective learning but also allow for the constructive and creative methods for the enabling of such learning. In this way we believe social workers may be educated to fully develop the professional capability or dynamic competence (Doel et al. 2002) that will enable themselves and others to function effectively in the complex world of practice. The specially written book for this unit will be distributed free to participants at the workshop

Professional education and personal epistemology: a post qualifying social work case study.

The overall aim of this professional doctorate is to inform improved methods of educational practice for preparing and developing learners to deal with the complex and constructed nature of professional learning and knowledge. The primary concern is to understand notions of knowledge and knowing for professional education and the nature of personal epistemology for post qualifying (PQ) social work students. The main purpose is to facilitate these students’ awareness of personal epistemology and enable them to validly articulate their own knowledge in this context. The thesis adopts an overall pragmatic perspective, undertaking an empirical case study which encompasses a documentary analysis, questionnaires and interviews within a qualitative and interpretive methodology. The findings from the case study provide an understanding of a PQ social work programme’s epistemology and the nature of the students’ experiences, views and assumptions concerning professional knowledge and knowing. Overall, it can be seen that the hegemonic privileging of academic knowledge over practice-based knowledge creates particular epistemological tensions and misalignments in respect of posttechnocratic reflective models. Such privileging impacts negatively on the authority and articulation of PQ students’ professional knowledge, and highlights the necessity to more fully acknowledge a professional perspective within a reflective epistemology. The findings are used to inform a series of practice development initiatives with PQ social work students. The initiatives help develop epistemological awareness and enable a re-alignment to post-technocratic reflective models with the development of a Practical Reasoning Framework. The Framework acknowledges the types of knowledge and ways of knowing associated with professional reasoning and judgment, and helps establish the validity, justification and authority of a professional perspective within a reflective epistemology. The recognition of the need to more fully acknowledge a professional perspective within a reflective epistemology, and the development of the Framework to address this need can be identified as the thesis’ contribution to knowledge. With recent national reports emphasising reasoning and judgment as necessary components of professional development, their authentic and legitimate inclusion within an academic context is now more important than ever

Ways to engage widening participation students

Widening Participation (WP) covers so-called “non-traditional” students from diverse backgrounds who are being encouraged to consider further and higher education. This paper seeks to show that by identifying the learning issues of two different groups of WP students it is possible to find better ways of responding to their needs. Without this understanding we are relying on 'what the teacher does' rather than 'what the student does' within the learning environment and thus failing to engage the student fully (Biggs 1999). In the absence of engagement, information skills work cannot be embedded or integrated, and is thus perceived to be unconnected with study, work or professional practice. It is seen as a means to an end only; i.e. encouraging a surface learning approach (Marton and Saljo 1984). It can also be counter-productive as students who are not engaged can display negative behaviour, be disruptive and spoil the group dynamic. At a surface level there can be little real engagement for the student, no matter how well sessions are planned or how good the content. Students' prior and present learning experiences affect their perceptions and expectations and can be associated with the three barriers to learning as identified by Cross (1981) and cited by Merrill et al. (2000). Within new situations these perceptions and barriers can have a significant influence on learning approaches and styles (Prosser and Trigwell, 1999). WP students from FE or a professional background, are likely to have more varied learning experiences than traditional students. To understand this relationship and determine how students perceive their situation is a further step towards developing appropriate learning and teaching contexts for successful engagement and deeper learning

'Baptism of Fire': The First Year in the Life of a Newly Qualified Social Worker.

This paper describes research commissioned by Skills for Care South West to identify and track the learning and development needs of newly qualified social workers through their first year of employment. The perceptions of 22 newly qualified social workers based in statutory settings are reported concerning the effectiveness of the social work degree (England), their induction and probationary periods and their progress towards post-qualifying social work education as part of their continuing professional development. The perspectives of line managers, people who use services and carers are also discussed. Findings from the research suggest that the social work degree has been well received by most newly qualified social workers and highlights the perceived importance of a statutory placement for social work degree students. Key social work practice skills that require further development are identified and a rationale is presented for greater investment in the induction and probationary periods of newly qualified social workers

The longitudinal development of emotion regulation capacities in children at risk for externalizing disorders

The development of emotional regulation capacities in children at high versus low risk for externalizing disorder was examined in a longitudinal study investigating: a) whether disturbances in emotion regulation precede and predict the emergence of externalizing symptoms; and b) whether sensitive maternal behavior is a significant influence on the development of child emotion regulation. Families experiencing high (n=58) and low (n=63) levels of psychosocial adversity were recruited to the study during pregnancy. Direct observational assessments of child emotion regulation capacities and maternal sensitivity were completed in early infancy, at 12 and 18-months, and at 5-years. Key findings were as follows. First, high risk children showed poorer emotion regulation capacities than their low risk counterparts at every stage of assessment. Second, from 12-months onwards, emotion regulation capacities showed a degree of stability, and were associated with behavioral problems, both concurrently and prospectively. Third, maternal sensitivity was related to child emotion regulation capacities throughout development, with poorer emotion regulation in the high risk group being associated with lower maternal sensitivity. The results are consistent with a causal role for problems in the regulation of negative emotions in the etiology of externalizing psychopathology, and highlight insensitive parenting as a potentially key developmental influence

Real-World Outcomes of Glucose Sensor Use in Type 1 Diabetes—Findings from a Large UK Centre

From MDPI via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: accepted 2021-11-10, pub-electronic 2021-11-15Publication status: PublishedFlash glucose monitoring (FGM) and real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM) are increasingly used in clinical practice, with improvements in HbA1c and time in range (TIR) reported in clinical studies. We aimed to evaluate the impact of FGM and RT-CGM use on glycaemic outcomes in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) under routine clinical care. We performed a retrospective data analysis from electronic outpatient records and proprietary web-based glucose monitoring platforms. We measured HbA1c (pre-sensor vs. on-sensor data) and sensor-based outcomes from the previous three months as per the international consensus on RT-CGM reporting guidelines. Amongst the 789 adults with T1DM, HbA1c level decreased from 61.0 (54.0, 71.0) mmol/mol to 57 (49, 65.8) mmol/mol in 561 people using FGM, and from 60.0 (50.0, 70.0) mmol/mol to 58.8 (50.3, 66.8) mmol/mol in 198 using RT-CGM (p 0.001 for both). We found that 23% of FGM users and 32% of RT-CGM users achieved a time-in-range (TIR) (3.9 to 10 mmol/L) of >70%. For time-below-range (TBR) 4 mmol/L, 70% of RT-CGM users and 58% of FGM users met international recommendations of 4%. Our data add to the growing body of evidence supporting the use of FGM and RT-CGM in T1DM

The NRG1 exon 11 missense variant is not associated with autism in the Central Valley of Costa Rica

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We are conducting a genetic study of autism in the isolated population of the Central Valley of Costa Rica (CVCR). A novel Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) missense variant (exon 11 G>T) was recently associated with psychosis and schizophrenia (SCZ) in the same population isolate.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We genotyped the NRG1 exon 11 missense variant in 146 cases with autism, or autism spectrum disorder, with CVCR ancestry, and both parents when available (N = 267 parents) from 143 independent families. Additional microsatellites were genotyped to examine haplotypes bearing the exon 11 variant.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The NRG1 exon 11 G>T variant was found in 4/146 cases including one de novo occurrence. The frequency of the variant in case chromosomes was 0.014 and 0.045 in the parental non-transmitted chromosomes. At least 6 haplotypes extending 0.229 Mb were associated with the T allele. Three independent individuals, with no personal or family history of psychiatric disorder, shared at least a 1 megabase haplotype 5' to the T allele.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The NRG1 exon 11 missense variant is not associated with autism in the CVCR.</p