Nightingale, Julie

Sevens, Trudy

Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive

Degree apprenticeships: a new educational model for radiography in the United KingdomNIGHTINGALE, Julie and SEVENS, TrudyAvailable from Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive (SHURA) at:http://shura.shu.ac.uk/24247/This document is the author deposited version.  You are advised to consult the publisher's version if you wish to cite from it.Published versionNIGHTINGALE, Julie and SEVENS, Trudy (2019). Degree apprenticeships: a new educational model for radiography in the United Kingdom. EPOS. Copyright and re-use policySee http://shura.shu.ac.uk/information.htmlSheffield Hallam University Research Archivehttp://shura.shu.ac.ukDegree apprenticeships: a new educational model forradiography in the United KingdomPoster No.: C-2935Congress: ECR 2019Type: Scientific ExhibitAuthors: J. M. Nightingale, T. Sevens; Sheffield/UKKeywords: Radiographers, Digital radiography, Education, Education andtraining, WorkforceDOI: 10.26044/ecr2019/C-2935Any information contained in this pdf file is automatically generated from digital materialsubmitted to EPOS by third parties in the form of scientific presentations. Referencesto any names, marks, products, or services of third parties or hypertext links to third-party sites or information are provided solely as a convenience to you and do not inany way constitute or imply ECR's endorsement, sponsorship or recommendation of thethird party, information, product or service. ECR is not responsible for the content ofthese pages and does not make any representations regarding the content or accuracyof material in this file.As per copyright regulations, any unauthorised use of the material or parts thereof aswell as commercial reproduction or multiple distribution by any traditional or electronicallybased reproduction/publication method ist strictly prohibited.You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold ECR harmless from and against any and allclaims, damages, costs, and expenses, including attorneys' fees, arising from or relatedto your use of these pages.Please note: Links to movies, ppt slideshows and any other multimedia files are notavailable in the pdf version of presentations.www.myESR.orgPage 1 of 15Aims and objectivesLaunched in September 2015 in England, degree apprenticeships are an opportunity todevelop employer-focused higher education that can play a role in meeting employers'skills needs, boosting local graduate retention and local growth, and increasing socialmobility [1]. Apprentices should earn a wage and graduate without student debt (unliketraditional students who accrue a student loan); these financial advantages may attractboth mature students and those from lower income households, thus contributing towidening participation outcomes.Degree Apprenticeships potentially offer an alternative path to the healthcareprofessions, including radiography. However other employment sectors who haveintroduced degree apprenticeships (including management, digital, and engineering),have experienced significant challenges, as apprenticeships place a far greaterexpectation upon the employers. Employer engagement with apprenticeships istherefore often intermittent, compounded by concerns about commitment and costs.Not surprisingly, there are also risks for education providers in adopting employer-ledcurricula and negotiating individual employer training contracts [2].Following changes to the funding and taxation of hospitals in England (the introductionof the Apprenticeship Levy in April 2017), hospitals have been financially incentivised toengage in apprenticeship training. There has been a large increase in employer interestin, and demand for, degree apprenticeships [1]. In response the university sector isdeveloping degree apprenticeships across the breadth of healthcare, dentistry and socialwork [1].Three degree apprenticeships related to radiography (diagnostic radiography,therapeutic radiography and sonography) herald a new approach to collaborativecurriculum design between key stakeholders. The development phase of theseapprenticeships includes the creation of a wide national stakeholder group known asa Trailblazer, including representatives of employers, universities, professional bodiesand governmental organisations. The Trailblazer is responsible for the creation of anoccupational standard which will provide a model for the paid 'on the job' degreeapprenticeship training.Few studies provide an insight into the challenges of the Trailblazer phase. Engagingemployers in programme design is difficult, with many employers feeling uncomfortablein being the 'lead' in curriculum design when they are working with individuals they classas experienced academics [3]. Some stakeholders perceive the vocational nature ofapprenticeships as less rigorous than traditional academic study [4], and the traineePage 2 of 15identity changing from student to employee also creates a major shift in stakeholderperceptions [5]. With a primary focus on employment outcomes, there is also a dangerthat the important experiences of being a learner or student are dampened down in favourof the requirement to be an employee [6].The success of degree apprenticeships in radiography-related disciplines thereforedepends upon managing stakeholder expectations effectively to ensure equity withtraditional university-based radiography education. This research begins this processby exploring the expectations, motivations and perceptions of those most closelyengaged with the radiography apprenticeship developments, that is, the trailblazermembership of the three national Trailblazer groups (diagnostic radiography, therapeuticradiography and sonography). We aimed to identify any issues prior to the next phase ofapprenticeship development and implementation.Page 3 of 15Methods and materialsAs degree apprenticeships are still in their infancy, a qualitative research approach ismost appropriate to explore this under-researched area and facilitate effective strategicinterventions during programme development and delivery.This study utilises a multiple case study design following the pragmatic constructivistapproach first described by Merriam [7]. Cases (e.g. an organisation, department, orindividual) are selected to provide a rich description that illuminates our understandingof the phenomena [7], with interviews being the most common form of qualitative datacollection in this approach [8].The three radiography-related Trailblazer groups were each investigated as an individualcase study, enabling an in-depth exploration of the patterns and themes emerging withinthe trailblazer group. Themes were then compared across the three cases (trailblazergroups) to identify if they are replicated elsewhere or are unique to the individual group.Exploring the perceptions of the individual participants within each group will provide anopportunity to gain a rich understanding [9] of how they perceive their role within theTrailblazer group.ParticipantsWe have undertaken 15 stakeholder interviews (see Figure 1) which could be perceivedas relatively small, although is typical of a qualitative study [10, 11] and will provide thedepth required within each case. Initial contact with the participants was by email invitingthem to participate. They were made fully aware of the study aims and provided witha participant information sheet. This included information on consent, confidentiality, anintroduction to the data collection methods, how the information will be used and stored,sponsors and where to gain further information.Ethical implicationsEthical approval was gained from Sheffield Hallam University [ER7701385], and'gatekeeper' approval was granted from the trailblazer chair persons to access theparticipants in each trailblazer group by email.Data collectionPage 4 of 15Following 2 pilot interviews, minor changes were made to the interview schedule. Initialsemi structured interviews were conducted with the chairs of the trailblazer groups(all employer representatives), followed by interviews with other stakeholders. Bothinvestigators who conducted the interviews were radiography academics with experiencein qualitative research, and triangulation, reflexivity and constant comparison methodswere utilised to ensure consistency and increase credibility.Most interviews were conducted face to face which allows the researcher to observe non-verbal signs [12] but some participants preferred a telephone interview. Fifteen interviewswere conducted which each lasted approximately 40 minutes and these were transcribedverbatim [9].Data AnalysisTo support the cross-case analysis of different professional roles and perceptions ofapprenticeship developments, the researchers coded the data to help identify anyrecurring themes and patterns. The interview data from each participant was analysed forinitial patterns and then the patterns examined carefully to determine if they are replicatedin those of other participants from within the same case (trailblazer group), and across thethree cases. Thus by cycling through individual transcripts as well as within and acrosscases, both original and recurring themes are able to emerge. This analysis methodhas been used successfully in apprenticeship research previously [2] and will facilitate adetailed understanding of the perceptions and challenges across the sample as a whole.Page 5 of 15Images for this section:Fig. 1: Participants are drawn from the Trailblazer membership, which includes fourstakeholder groups.© Dept of Allied Health Professions, Sheffield Hallam University - Sheffield/UKPage 6 of 15ResultsThe data collection has been completed and the initial analysis has been undertakenwhich has identified emerging themes. Further analysis is on-going to identify the within-case and the cross-case thematic comparisons.Four primary themes have emerged within the initial analysis: professional protectionism(figure 2); opportunities (Figure 3); professional recognition (Figure 4) and workforcechallenges (Figure 5). Each of these had several sub-themes as shown in these figures.Page 7 of 15Images for this section:Fig. 2: Emerging Theme 1 - Professional Protectionism© Dept of Allied Health Professions, Sheffield Hallam University - Sheffield/UKPage 8 of 15Fig. 3: Emerging Theme 2 - Opportunities of Apprenticeships© Dept of Allied Health Professions, Sheffield Hallam University - Sheffield/UKPage 9 of 15Fig. 4: Emerging Theme 3 - Professional Recognition© Dept of Allied Health Professions, Sheffield Hallam University - Sheffield/UKPage 10 of 15Fig. 5: Emerging Theme 4 - Workforce Challenges© Dept of Allied Health Professions, Sheffield Hallam University - Sheffield/UKPage 11 of 15ConclusionThe participants on the whole were positive about their experiences of being part of thetrailblazer group and about the proposal for the introduction of the degree apprenticeshiproutes. However, some participants in the sonography group had a degree of scepticismand particular concerns over 'dumbing down the role' and the current lack of professionalregulation for sonographers in the UK. There were also some concerns around the equityof training, pay and opportunities for those studying on an apprenticeship route comparedto those on a traditional University based programme.Degree apprenticeships are a new concept in the UK and the experience of eachdevelopment stage should be captured, built upon and learnt from. While there is noprevious research into radiography-related degree apprenticeships, in other sectorsMulkeen et al [3] identified several challenges for employers which were similar to thoseidentified in this study, including concerns about the potentially hidden financial costsand about the need to upskill staff to become effective mentors. Rowe et al [2] alsoidentified the vital role for mentors, and the critical support required by managers tofacilitate the upskilling of their workforce. All stakeholder groups in Mulkeen's study, as inthis study, expressed concerns over parity of esteem between traditional degree studentsand degree apprentices, both during the training period and post graduation [3]. Howeverwhile in previous research the concern is that apprentices may be disadvantaged, thiswas not found to be the main perspective in this study, with radiography managersrecognising that the 'home grown' apprentice may be favoured in many situations overtraditional students. This suggests that Higher Education Institutions will need to workclosely with employers and be vigilant to ensure that all students, no matter what theeducational route to practice, are given the requisite opportunities to succeed in theirchosen career.With further work on-going to compare and contrast the themes across trailblazer groups,it is hoped this study will be able to make recommendations to support radiographyevidence-based apprenticeship curriculum developments and will facilitate a seamlessintegration of apprentices into the existing radiography workforce.Page 12 of 15Personal informationProf Julie M Nightingale (presenting author)Professor of Diagnostic Imaging EducationSheffield Hallam University, U.K.Email: J.Nightingale@shu.ac.ukDr Trudy Sevens (co-author)Professional Lead (Diagnostic Imaging) and Department Lead for DegreeApprenticeshipsSheffield Hallam University, U.K.Email: T.J.Sevens@shu.ac.ukPage 13 of 15References1.Universities UK. (2017). Degree Apprenticeships: Realising opportunities. WorldMedical Association. (2006). Declaration of Helsinki. WMA international code of medicalethics. Retrieved from: http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/c8/index.html.2.Rowe, L., Moss, D., Moore, N. & Perrin, D. (2017). The challenges ofmanaging degree apprentices in the workplace: A manager's perspective. Journalof Work-Applied Management 9(2), 185-199. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1108/JWAM-07-2017-00213.Mulkeen, J., Abdou, H.A., Leigh, J. & Ward, P. (2017). Degree and HigherLevel Apprenticeships: an empirical investigation of stakeholder perceptions ofchallenges and opportunities. Studies in Higher Education. Retrieved from DOI:10.1080/03075079.2017.13653574.Ryan, L. & L#rinc, M. (2018). Perceptions, prejudices and possibilities: youngpeople narrating apprenticeship experiences. British Journal of Sociology of Education,Retrieved from DOI: 10.1080/01425692.2017.14178215.Powell, P. & Walsh, A. (2017). Whose curriculum is it anyway? Stakeholder salience inthe context of Degree Apprenticeships. Higher Educ Q, 00, 1-17. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.121496.Carter, J. & Tubbs, N. (2017). Degree apprenticeships, the 'joy of learning' excellenceframework, and the common good. Journal of Further and Higher Education,. Retrievedfrom DOI: 10.1080/0309877X.2017.13569177.Merriam, S.B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education.(2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.8.Harrison, H., Birks, M., Franklin, R. & Mills, J. (2017). Case Study Research:Foundations and Methodological Orientations. Forum Qualitative Social Research,18(1), Art. 19. Retrieved from http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/2655/4079Page 14 of 159.Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2013). Successful Qualitative Research. A practical guide forbeginners. London: Sage.10.Guest, G., Bunce, A. & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviewsare enough? Field Methods, 18, 59-82. Retrieved from https://doi-org.lcproxy.shu.ac.uk/10.1177/1525822X0527990311.Saunders, M. & Tosey, P. (2012). The Layers of Research Design. Retrieved at: http://www.academia.edu/4107831/The_Layers_of_Research_Design12.Seidman, I. (2013). Interviewing as Qualitative Research. A Guide for Researchers inEducation and the Social Sciences. (4th ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.Page 15 of 15

Degree apprenticeships: a new educational model for radiography in the United Kingdom

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Degree apprenticeships: a new educational model for radiography in the United Kingdom

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