What methods can be used to assess the formation of students' professional identity in higher education?

The article analyses the main models and theories on the study of the concept of "professional identity" and the main factors influencing the formation of students' professional identity during their studies in higher education institutions. The article studies and compares the Erikson model of identity development, the theory of social identity, and the theory of career choice. The main provisions of professional identity in the works of world and national scientists are considered. Novelty of the work includes the study of domestic and international experience of educational work aimed at the formation of a positive professional identity of students. The authors propose forms and methods of work that will contribute to the formation of the professional identity of medical students, in particular, it is proposed to introduce comprehensive educational programmes and include certain topics, courses, etc. in the curriculum that would contribute to the formation of professional competence and identity of students of professional higher education. Relevance of the topic is due to the fact that the problem of professional adaptation and identification of students in higher education institutions after they have chosen a speciality, and the effectiveness of their work requires a detailed study. The authors investigated the content of the concept of "professional identity". The authors reviewed the influencing factors on the formation of professional identity, in particular, the role of educational work and the role of the teacher in the process of forming students' professional identity. The problems of professional identity formation at the university stage in Ukrainian higher education institutions are studied. The emphasis is placed on the modernisation of teaching and educational work in the higher education system of Ukraine. It is emphasised that practical training, which universities should provide through internships, cooperative programmes, research projects and practices, is of great importance in the formation of professional identity in students.

This study investigates whether creative, expressive, and reflective writing contributes to the formation of a narrative career identity that offers students in higher education a sense of meaning and direction. The contents of writing done by students who participated in 2 two-day writing courses before and after work placements and of a control group were compared. Employers were also asked to evaluate students' performance. Writing samples were analyzed using the Linguistic Index Word Count program and an instrument based on Dialogical Self Theory. Work-placement self-reports were gathered, examined, and used as anecdotal evidence presented in the form of case studies. The results show that career writing can promote the development of career identity and holds promise as a narrative career guidance approach.

Throughout the development of an individual, their identity, or how they see themselves, frequently changes. An important part of identity formation in adolescents is the development of professional identity, which is how they perceive themselves in a professional context. The establishment of a strong professional identity has been linked to life satisfaction, psychological well-being and success in one’s chosen career. The aim of this study was to identify the extent of professional identity development in second year undergraduate occupational therapy students. As part of an assessment task, students were asked to describe why they chose occupational therapy, how they saw themselves as occupational therapists, and to describe their role models. A thematic analysis of consenting students’ (n=59) responses was performed and each student ranked based on the strength of their professional identity. The results indicated that the stage of professional identity development of second year occupational therapy students varied considerably, despite them being at the same stage of their program. A quarter of students had advanced professional identity, while almost two-thirds were still developing. Students also provided detailed insights regarding the factors influencing their professional identity. Students with strong, positive influences regarding their choice to study occupational therapy were likely to have strong role models. Given its impact on well-being and career success, it is essential to identify students who may be at risk of poor professional identity. The methods developed here could be used to identify such students and to evaluate the success of educational interventions aimed at them.

<p style="text-align:justify">This study investigated college students’ career maturity as a mediator of the effect of professional identity on academic achievement. The researchers developed a structural equation model and a research hypothesis using the Chinese college students’ professional identity scale, career maturity scale, and academic achievement scale. After experts’ revision and confirmatory analysis, the 3 scales had sufficient reliability, validity, and fit. The researchers distributed electronic questionnaires to students in 4 universities in Jilin Province, China, and participants responded using 5-point Likert-type scales. The researchers collected 1,104 valid questionnaires. According to the analysis, college students’ professional identity is a positive predictor of their academic achievement, and career maturity partially mediates the influence of professional identity on academic achievement. Therefore, improving Chinese college students’ professional identity may improve their academic achievement, and professional identity can have a positive effect on academic achievement through career maturity. University administrators and teachers should enhance the career maturity of college students and promote their professional development.</p>

ABSTRACT The study examines the prevalence of emergent professional identity (PI) among different groups of higher education students as well as the determining factors in the formation of PI. Drawing on evidence from a survey among Australian and UK students (N = 433), from two institutions and across a range of disciplines, empirical and conceptual insights are developed on the formation and impacts of students’ professional identity. The article shows the significance of identity formation as a crucial bridge between higher education and future employment and its mediation by other key resources – in particular social and cultural capital – that students acquire before entering the labour market. The relative strength of identity formations can impact on students’ sense of familiarity, proximity, and confidence around targeted employment areas. The article finally discusses the implications this has for individuals and institutions.

Objective To understand the career maturity and professional identity among secondary and higher vocational run-through education nursing interns and to analyze the correlation between them. Methods In November 2018, we selected 84 nursing students from two 4+2 secondary and higher vocational run-through education classes in a higher vocational nursing college in Beijing as subjects by purposive sampling. All of the students were investigated with the Career Maturity Inventory (CMI) and Professional Identity Questionnaire for Nurse Students (PIQNS) . A total of 84 questionnaire were sent out and 82 valid of them were collected. Results Among 82 nursing interns, the total scores of CMI and PIQNS were (118.24±16.29) and (74.99±6.74) . Career maturity had a positive correlation with professional identity (r=0.416, P<0.01) . The influencing factors of career maturity included independence of career choice and professional self-image among nursing interns (P<0.01) . Conclusions Nursing students have high levels of career maturity and professional identity. Educators should pay attention to the development of professional identity of them so as to improve their career maturity. Key words: Students, nursing; Career maturity; Professional identity; Correlation

ABSTRACT To assess the self-reported professional identity of healthcare majors at a large public university, and to understand the degree to which the students perceive their healthcare programs support the development of this identity. An online, modified version of the Professional Identity Five-Factor Scale (Tan, Van der Molen, and Schmidt [2017]. ‘A Measure of Professional Identity Development for Professional Education.’ Studies in Higher Education (Dorchester-on-Thames) 42 (8): 1504–19) was completed by 588 respondents with majors in dietetics, nursing, social work, and speech-language pathology. The 551 respondents who completed all survey items were included in the statistical analysis. Self-reported measures of students’ professional identity during preparation for practice were captured along with perceptions of program support. Findings indicated: (1) professional identity and perceptions of program support increase with age; (2) first-generation college students are more likely to have a professional role model and feel positive about program support for having a role model and in developing professional self-efficacy; (3) monolingual English-speakers had a higher professional identity and more positive perception about program support than multilingual students; (4) White students showed a higher sense of professional identify than non-White groups; and (5) there was no significant difference in professional identify or program support between genders as well as between four sexual orientation identities. Healthcare training programs benefit from supporting professional identity among pre-professionals to better prepare the workforce of tomorrow. Non-White, multilingual, and first-generation college students would especially benefit from professional role models and targeted programming to increase their sense of professional identity. Such efforts may support their persistence in healthcare fields where they are often underrepresented.

The professional identity formation and development of medical students is a gradual process. Its aim is to offer a reference for further research of medical students' professional identity and the improvement of medical practice education in the current medical environment by analyzing the aspects at home and abroad in the research method and research content of medical students' professional identity formation and measurement as well as the present intervention measures that can cultivate medical students' professional identity formation. Key words: Medical students; Professional identity; Measurement; Formation; Medical education

In this study, we present the pilot implementation of the ReSearching Identity Podcast Project, an intervention targeting the professional identity development of students with and without marginalized identities in higher education. The objectives were to assess the intervention's acceptability and feasibility, particularly focusing on its use of educational podcasting, and to explore preliminary effects on students' professional identity, including identity centrality and the connectedness with social identities (i.e., cultural and gender identity). We conducted a mixed method pilot study with university students (N=33; 88% female) in the Netherlands. Students completed online surveys before and after the pilot implementation, and students and their teacher participated in follow-up conversations. The results supported the acceptability and feasibility of the ReSearching Identity Podcast Project, with students and teachers appreciating the brevity of the intervention program, opportunities to learn about marginalized experiences of fellow students and professionals, and embeddedness in the curriculum. Also, students reported higher professional identity centrality and overall high connectedness of professional and other social identities after the intervention. We conclude by addressing the limitations, but also potential of the ReSearching Identity Podcast Project to address professional identity development with all students in higher education.

The purpose of this study was to create a new scale with a validated construct to measure professional identity development in students being prepared to become new practitioners. Using the new survey instrument (named the Professional Identity Five-Factor Scale), data were collected from a polytechnic with students enrolled in a wide range of professions. The confirmatory factor analysis found the construct valid and stable across independent samples from the same student population. When the sample was divided into two groups (high and low scores) based on the overall Professional Identity score, the stronger professional identity group scored significantly higher than the other group in all five factors. Our analysis also found the measure reliable using coefficient H as the indicator. Besides a new scale to measure, the underlying construct can also be used as a general guide or framework for the development and evaluation of professional education programmes.