Academic literature on the topic 'Professions and professionalism'

The purpose of this study is to examine and compare librarian profession with different professional theories. The intention is to describe how the librarian profession meets the different professional criteria and to what extent the librarian profession can be said to be professional in expertise, service and autonomy. Nolin’s modern theory provides an opportunity to analyze occupational groups based on professionalized basic concepts. The analysis of relevant material showed that the librarian is a service profession with high skills, but does not hold a high degree of autonomy. Librarian profession has been regarded as a semiprofession by previous profession theories, but Nolin’s broadened profession definition invites the librarian to the profession concept.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2007.<br>Title from title screen (viewed 28 January 2010). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Dept. of English, Faculty of Arts. Degree awarded 2007; thesis submitted 2006. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print form.

This study examines boundaries and synergies between continuing professional learning contexts of academy, workplace and profession, and considers what factors and approaches of learning contribute to common good in societies. In a review of literature, historical trends in professions and professional learning, concerns of managerialism and performativity, and educational theories of socially constructivism, developmental and ethical learning were considered. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to collect and analyse data from eighty work-based student documents and from twelve semi-structured interviews with practitioners in four Scottish professions. The findings indicated that learning across contexts was disconnected, creating additional demands for professionals. Increased academic study indicated a more knowledgeable and skilled workforce, with a caveat of market-led credentialism in response to demands for higher qualifications. Professional CPD provided benefits of quality assurance and public safety, but was reported as individualised procedural accountability. Interpersonal communicative action was identified as key to workplace learning, although was afforded less significance than accredited learning in professional and academic contexts. Factors of individualism, accountability and credentialism were noted to have effect on participative workplace learning, which, the study argued, impacted on ethical agency in professions. To address these trends, adaptability, reciprocity and dialogical critical thinking were identified as necessary factors for a continuing professional learning that contributes to common good in societies.

Reflective practice remains the dominant model for the professional development of teachers in the early twenty first century. A large body of research discusses this area from various theoretical standpoints, however, despite numerous calls to expand this research position, scant attention has been paid to the question of what happens when professionals attempt to carry out a process of reflective practice through talk. The few studies that have investigated this area claim to find little evidence of reflection occurring. This study directly engages this question by empirically investigating an interactional context where the institutional goal is to reflect on the participants’ professional actions through talk: the post-observation feedback meetings of a TESOL teacher-training certificate course. The study employs the methodology of institutional conversation analysis to uncover the organisation of talk in this context and relate it to the institutional goal of the feedback meetings. It demonstrates that the meetings are organised into a number of phases, each focussing on different ‘types’ of feedback: positive, critical, self, and group. It also demonstrates that the talk within each phase is oriented around a number of feedback topics, each focussing on a specific aspect of the trainee’s practices. Furthermore, that within these feedback topics the trainees engage in interactional processes with the trainers, through which they reflect on their practices in a series of stages: describing their experiences, drawing interpretations and theories from these descriptions, and finally making plans for future actions. The findings of this study explicate a process of reflective practice, as it is instantiated by the participants through talk. By presenting this data, its analysis, and its relationship to previous research, the study adds to our understanding of the interactional organisation of feedback meetings. It also provides the first systematic description of ‘reflective practice as an interactional activity’ and discusses the implications of this process for teacher-training professionals.

The publications in this portfolio are focused on issues related to educational innovations and in particular, how improved practice can be encouraged, planned and implemented. It highlights how activist professionals can play key roles in mobilising teachers, academics, communities and education authorities and so engage in the politics of transformation that invokes wider issues of equity and social justice. As members of communities of practice that value respect, reciprocity and collaboration, activist professionals forge an identity that is strategic and tactical and works strongly in the interests of students and the communities in which schools are located. In identifying and promoting better practice, activist professionals are critical of existing structures and in shaping and embracing the challenges that present themselves, they frame the future agendas of schooling and education. This research as an activist professional in both diverse and intersecting communities of practice, has led to the development of a range of benchmarking methodologies as a way of identifying and fostering better professional practice. These methodologies and their associated better practice have the common purpose of reviewing and revitalising teacher professionalism. The research undertaken, its methodologies, findings and application have been intended to contribute to profession-led change<br>Doctor of Education (Ed. D.)

The aim of the bachelor study was to find out what kind of experiences continuing professional development (CPD) has received in medical laboratories and how it has been implemented through a literature review. The purpose of the study was to find and compile the literature review as up-to-date research data on the importance of continuing education in medical laboratories. The literature review has been carried out by adapting a systematic literature review. The literature review material was obtained utilizing nursing reference databases from CINAHL, PubMed, Ovid Medline, Scopus, Medic and a few international journals. Research material (n = 8) was selected for the material, whose main subject was continuing professional development and medical laboratory. CPD is used to improve knowledge and skills with various categories and tools but there is similarities and differences in CPD implementation. CPD must be continuous throughout the professional career and it should be based on time- cycles of reasonable duration. Medical laboratory professionals with dozens of years of experience feels that they need less CPD activities than recently qualified laboratory professionals. The laboratory professional keeps important to increase their learning and development of their skills with continual encouragement. Research has shown that CPD has been recognized as an important part of professional development and the use of various tools, such as internet-based, makes it effective. The use of a systematic CPD program should be constantly evaluated to identify the most effective ways of developing professional skills. CPD should be time bounded but there is variation in duration and volume. The use of time and experience years will affect the successful implementation of the CPD.