The ‘matching principle’: designing for process in professional education

Abstract

This paper proposes the ‘matching principle’: the principle that in training for professional practice, the mode of training should be designed to reflect or ‘match’ key aspects of the relevant mode of practice. A rationale for this principle is offered, in terms of the view that students may learn as much from their experience of the process and context of learning as they do from its manifest content. A substantial case example is offered, describing the work of a Master's programme in therapeutic child care, and indicating how the matching principle has been applied in the design and delivery of this programme. There is finally a short debate on some of the risks and difficulties inherent in aiming to achieve a good match between training and practice.