Professionals In Field Research Articles

Identifying story types of PhD candidates lecturing in higher professional education: “ups and downs”, “turnaround”, “continuous growth”, and “scholarly recognition”

Purpose Guided by the quest concept, this study aims to explore how profession-focused PhD candidates, who are concurrently lecturing at a Dutch University of Applied Sciences (UAS), make sense of change while pursuing doctoral objectives. The research question was: How do these PhD candidates navigate, experience and evaluate their enduring profession-focused doctoral quests across the nexus of research, education and professional fields, considering their aspirations? Design/methodology/approach Eight PhD candidates shared one-year quest experiences, illustrating how interactions with ‘actors’, ‘settings’ and ‘events’ shape doctoral transitions. These narratological concepts guided within-case and cross-case analyses, while grounded theory methodologies served to explore candidates’ sense-making of change over time. Findings Four story types of doctoral transitions emerged: “ups and downs”, “turnaround”, “continuous growth” and “scholarly recognition”. Candidates valued the Dutch UASs’ formal policy of supporting academic research with professional relevance. Across the story types, differences in aligning doctoral expectations among research and workplace supervisors and candidates affected knowledge exchange throughout the doctorate. When available, engagement in varied and comprehensive doctoral learning resources advanced candidates’ research competencies, including bridging diverse knowledge types. Autonomous candidate navigation was crucial for building partnerships, accessing dispersed learning resources and responding to uncertainties. Collaborative learning involving BSc-MSc students, colleagues and practitioners varied in strength across the story types, but enhanced the doctorate’s relevance, visible outcomes, feasibility and sustainability. The story types represent transition patterns that shaped how candidates developed new knowledge and contributed to their fields. While passion was a key motivator for candidates, it also heightened their vulnerability. Practical implications Analysing patterns in doctoral transitions provided actionable insights for optimising conditions and candidate navigation within the science–profession nexus. Originality/value The findings highlight that diverse actors can contribute to and benefit from profession-focused doctorates, driving momentum in integrating this research into education and innovation.

ESP TEACHER’S ROLE: FROM A TEACHER TO A MASTER OF BUILDING AUTONOMY

The role of the ESP (English for Specific Purposes) teacher has evolved in response to societal and educational shifts. Despite the extensive exploration of teacher roles in general ELT, the evolving nature and specific challenges of the ESP teacher’s responsibilities have remained underexplored. This article aims to bridge this gap by presenting a comprehensive framework of the ESP teacher’s multifaceted roles, emphasizing their significance in contemporary educational contexts. This article explores the changing nature of the ESP teacher’s role, conducting a retrospective analysis based on existing scholarly work, and identifies key aspects of the teacher’s multifaceted responsibilities. Initially, the role of the teacher in general education was often teacher-centered, with the educator seen as the authority and primary decision-maker. Over time, this shifted towards a learner-centered model where the teacher acts as a facilitator, encouraging autonomy and student involvement. The article categorizes these roles into eight key functions: course designer, facilitator, subject-matter researcher, methodology researcher, collaborator, autonomy-builder, evaluator, and project manager. These roles are essential for addressing the specific needs of learners in various professional fields. The research highlights the need for specialized knowledge in both language and the specific discipline being taught, along with a comprehensive understanding of teaching methodologies. The ongoing transformation in the role of the ESP teacher reflects broader changes in the educational landscape, where personalized, context-driven instruction is increasingly prioritized. As ESP education continues to adapt to the demands of a globalized and digital world, teachers must develop new skills, embrace learner autonomy, and foster effective collaboration to remain relevant in the evolving educational environment.

Reconceptualizing effective professional development for teachers: shifting from causal chains and generativity to complexity and employee-centrism

ABSTRACT Focused on the epistemic development of the teacher professional development research field, this conceptual paper presents a European perspective that promotes a wider conceptualization of professional development than is evident in the mainstream scholarship spawned by the U.S.A’.s accountability era. The dominant theoretical perspective – what the author calls ‘employee-centrism’ - reflects a ‘positive organizational scholarship’ that is becoming recognized within organization studies, the sociology of work, and work psychology. Employee-centrism reflects a wide interpretation of employee well-being, manifested as the incorporation into organizational policy and practice of altruistic, rather than ulterior-motivated, care and compassion. In limiting effectiveness to what may be evidenced as generating student achievement, teacher professional development as conceived of in mainstream scholarship, it is argued, falls short in two respects: first, it reflects a simplistic conceptualization that disregards the complexity of professional development, and its capacity to occur implicitly and often imperceptibly; and, second, it reflects a perspective on teachers as conduits for reform implementation, rather than as primary developees in their own right. Within a new, post-COVID, era in which the importance of workplace well-being is increasingly highlighted, there is an imperative to reconceptualize what makes for effective teacher professional development.

Student communications: a review of current practices and scoping a new vision

ABSTRACT Student communications has developed as a professional field in universities in recent decades, as universities seek to more strategically engage diverse student populations with ever-changing expectations and needs. Whilst most universities now have some form of function or resourcing dedicated to considering how to best communicate with current students, there is minimal research exploring the priorities of these functions. This article takes a narrative review of practice approach, critiquing and highlighting the student communications practices of 17 universities around the world. The review thematically grouped the efforts of these institutions, finding that the main activities of student communications functions are: (1) implementing structures, strategic frameworks and policies (2) creation of campaigns to build campus pride and belonging (3) development of channels to better inform students about support and opportunities (4) evaluate students’ engagement, satisfaction and trust with their institution. Following the review of current practice, this article identifies gaps that should be addressed to enhance student communications functions, as well as principles that student communicators should adopt to gain legitimacy in their work.

Professional Engagement of Muslim Women: A Case Study in the Ampara District of Sri Lanka

The main objective of this study is to analyse the engagement of Muslim women in the professional fields and the influencing factors. As this is a qualitative-based research, data was collected from both primary and secondary sources through in-depth interviews and review of literature, respectively. Findings show that Muslim women’s involvement in professional field has increased. However, their contribution in the field of nursing, engineering, law and other sectors are very low except teaching and development officers. Moreover, even though women’s participation is higher in medical field, their involvement in special fields is lacking. The research identified that there are several factors led to dearth of professional filed such as job satisfaction in teaching profession, lack of family support and family responsibilities, social recognition, cultural practices, Religious obligation and values and financial difficulties. In Future, researchers can expand this topic based on specific fields and several other geographical regions.

Characterizing the Use and Potential of Social Media for Education and Advancement in Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

Social media has significantly impacted how healthcare professionals access health education, news, and communication. However, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) clinicians' professional use of social media remains unclear. Our objective was to characterize current EMS social media use and explore the potential for future professional use. This was a cross-sectional survey of nationally-certified EMS clinicians. Data were collected from November to December 2018. Respondents were surveyed regarding demographics, social media use, and use of and preferences for accessing EMS-specific social media content. Descriptive statistics were calculated. A total of 3,087 participants responded to the survey. Of these, 2,705 respondents met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the sample were male (68%, n=1,838), non-Hispanic White (85%, n=2,200), with a mean (SD) age of 37 (±13.1) years. More than half (57%, n=1,531) were certified as EMTs and worked full-time (61%, n=1,387) in urban settings (60%, n=1,630). The most commonly used social media platforms included Facebook™ (80%, n=2,175) and Instagram™ (48%, n=1,285), with 66% (n=1,600) of respondents checking social media platforms several times per day. The most common professional uses of social media were for education (64%) and news (65%). Respondents reported interest in using social media for EMS resources, including education (83%, n=1,989), news/events (60%, n=1,439), products/innovations (57%, n=1,352), and networking/job opportunities (54%, n=1,285). Many EMS clinicians reported their EMS agency had a social media policy (63%), but 15% reported they were not allowed to use social media for professional activities. EMS clinicians access social media frequently and express interest in its use for professional resources. However, many EMS do not currently use social media for professional activities. Considering EMS clinicians' interest in social media for professional reasons and the growing use of social media across numerous professional fields, EMS agencies and organizations should consider broadening outreach to clinicians through social media.

Соматотипологические особенности в аспекте оценки физической подготовленности студенческой молодежи северной части центрального федерального округа России

Background. Currently, there is an increase in scientific interest in the problem of constitutional peculiarities of young people and especially representatives of the student community of various professional fields, which is due to the importance of this aspect in the practice of preventive and clinical medicine. The purpose of the study: to identify the features of the level of physical fitness of students, taking into account sexual dimorphism and differences in morphological constitution. Materials and methods. A comprehensive study of constitutional anatomy in combination with physical fitness of students was conducted using the example of Yaroslavl State Medical University. It was attended by 398 students of the I-IV courses of medical, pediatric and dental faculties. The average age of the girls studied was 19.5 ± 1.1 years, and that of the boys was 18.9 ± 1.1 years. Students are classified according to their constitutional characteristics. Results. Significant differences in the anthropometric characteristics and indices of physical development of girls and boys representing different constitutional morphological types have been identified. The maximum differences in boys and girls were found between body weight, BMI, chest circumference and waist, Pinier index, waist/height index of representatives of hypersthenic and asthenic types, smaller differences in similar measurements were found in representatives of normosthenic and asthenic types. Significant differences in the physical fitness of the surveyed students were determined. Conclusions. Differences in the physical fitness of the subjects were recorded depending on gender and constitutional characteristics, which indicates the importance of systematically conducting such studies among students.

A Quasi-Experiment on the Effectiveness of Statistical Software Training Program in Developing Students’ Data Analysis Skills in Practical Research II

Statistical software has significantly enhanced data analysis, providing students with the precision and depth needed to extract meaningful insights from complex datasets. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a statistical software training program in enhancing students’ data analysis skills within a Practical Research II subject. A quasi-experiment, pre-test/post-test design was employed to assess the effect of the training on a sample of ninety STEM students. The results of the study revealed a significant improvement in students’ data analysis skills. The pre-test scores indicated a beginning level of proficiency, while the post-test scores demonstrated an approaching proficiency level. This significant difference, with a large effect size of 2.30, underscores the effectiveness of the training program in enhancing students’ data analysis capabilities. Results revealed empirical evidence that the statistical software training program on the use of Data Analysis, a statistical software application embedded in Microsoft Excel significantly influences students’ proficiency level as evidenced by comparing the pretest and posttest scores. By providing hands-on experience with this tool, students were able to develop their skills in statistical data analysis. The training also covered a range of statistical techniques, including descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of this study highlight the importance of providing targeted training to enhance students’ data analysis skills. By equipping students with the necessary tools and knowledge, teachers can empower them to conduct rigorous research and contribute meaningfully to academic and professional fields.

Gender Role Attitudes among Nursing Students in Southeastern Turkey: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Understanding nursing students' attitudes toward gender roles is vital for reducing gender-based discrimination and ensuring equitable and high-quality healthcare delivery. Purpose: This study aimed to assess nursing students' gender role attitudes of nursing students in the South-eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. Methods: This crosssectional and descriptive study was conducted using a convenience sampling method with 3244 nursing students studying at universities in the South-eastern region of Turkey. Data was collected using the Demographic Information Form and the Gender Role Attitudes Scale. Results: It was observed that 61.0% of the nursing students obtained a score of < 95 points on the Gender Role Attitudes Scale. Nursing students' attitudes toward gender roles were traditional. A significant relationship was determined (R=0.456, R2=0.205) between students' socio-demographic variables and their attitudes toward gender roles (F=65.137, p<0.001). Gender role attitudes accounted for 20.5% of the variance in socio-demographic characteristics. Father's education level was the most significant predictor of influencing students' gender role attitudes (p<0.001). Conclusion: Nursing students' gender roles should be considered to prevent gender-based discrimination in healthcare services and to create a more equitable environment in the professional field. Implications for Nursing: Nursing education programs need to be revised to increase awareness of gender equality and roles. Implementing courses or training programs that focus on the impact of gender roles on healthcare can help students gain a better understanding of these roles.

The strength of adult community education as a professional field in aid-receiving countries: A global mixed-methods study

The strength of adult community education as a professional field in aid-receiving countries: A global mixed-methods study

Anaesthesia Technical Assistants (ATA) in the Recovery Room

For two years now, anaesthesia technical assistance has been a state-recognized profession in Germany and entitles graduates to work in all fields of anaesthesiology, with the exception of the intensive care unit. The job profile is comparable to the nurse anesthetist in Great Britain (Operation Department Practitioner) or in the Netherlands (Anesthesiemedewerker). In an initial empirical research project in 2023, the professional field was described and the question of whether graduates are adequately prepared for the fields of anaesthesiology was discussed with the focus particularly on the recovery room. The normative requirements of the theoretical and practical training prepare the trainees well for all fields of the profession. However, the study showed that training should be improved by including practical work in the intensive care unit during schooling. The existing training and examination regulations currently only offer a small amount of scope for an assignment in the intensive care unit. Therefore, the training and in particular the practical assignments should be evaluated and modified in the future.

Certificación profesional, el caso de México

Professional certification is a social right to receive services with quality and safety; however, in Mexico, most professions do not have a legal obligation to be certified, which presents an opportunity for the different actors in education. This work presents a framework on certification in Mexico, along with experiences in various professional fields. A review was carried out from the 90s of the 20th century to the present in the national context in comparison with international experiences around certification. The experience shows the importance to define a framework grounded on competencies setting the specifications linked to professional reality. It is possible to identify the differences between certification of occupational skills and professional certification, because they need specific certification models and represent different advantages for society. It is important to demonstrate that professionals need to update and certify their competencies in order to have positive repercussions in all areas of his performance.

Le milieu universitaire comme instrument contextuel dans l'apprentissage du français professionnel

The linguistic landscape of the university environment is an interesting object for study in the field of linguodidactics. The territory of international universities or universities with a large number of foreign students usually represents a special linguistic educational and ecological space. The functions of the linguistic landscape, according to researchers-theorists, depends on the educational context and changes according it. Being the part of the academic environment, as educative programs, the linguistic landscape is also aimed at formation of desired linguistic knowledge of students. As it was noted by several researchers the linguistic landscape is the semiotic space of the language in which communication is carried out and where the language works and is being perceived by the participants in communication. Students, immersed in the linguistic landscape of the university, learn the language faster and more effectively, as the present study shows. This is especially efficient for professional vocabulary. Visual perception of public written texts develops students' visual memory, enriches their vocabulary and expands their range of knowledge in the professional field.

Women's mental health in the doctoral context: Protective function of the psychological capital and academic motivation.

Science recognizes the anxieties, depression, stress, and "turbulences" that women face in doctoral studies, but women's mental health in this context is still little addressed, even though it is a critical aspect for the well-being, persistence, and success of women doctoral candidates, who continue to be underrepresented in many professional fields. The study aims to evaluate the relationship between academic motivation, psychological capital, and university academic performance (UAP) and to identify factors of female mental health success. A cross-sectional, mixed-methods study was conducted with a sample of 108 female doctoral students from a university in Lima, during the first quarter of 2024. In the quantitative phase, three standardized scales were administered to assess academic motivation, psychological capital, and university academic performance (UAP). In the qualitative phase, interviews were conducted to gather relevant information on mental health. The findings emphasize five important points: (1) levels and the relationship between psychological capital, academic motivation, and performance, (2) motivational behavior according to study cycles, (3) risk and protection profiles, (4) protective functions, and (5) mental health success factors. The results indicate that 36% of the women have a low level of psychological capital, 34% have a medium level of academic motivation, and 37% have a high level of UAP, likewise "Intrinsic Motivation toward Accomplishment" is the positive core where most of these women converge. Significant differences were found between the study cycles with academic motivation and "University Academic Performance," and a significant gap between these variables. The risk profile (which limits performance) and the protective profile which allows high performance are determined; this positive profile is identified by women who present a high level of "Self-efficacy." The study demonstrates that "Psychological Capital" and "Academic Motivation" along with the dimensions of "Self-efficacy" and "Intrinsic Motivation to Experience Stimulation" serve protective functions. Fourteen success factors for women's mental health were identified and organized into four main approaches: Optimism, Hope, Resilience, and Self-efficacy. Limitations and future projections are discussed. The practical implications include implementing psychological support programs, fostering intrinsic motivation, integrating psychological assessments, establishing support networks, and making tailored curricular adjustments.

Essential database resources for modern drug discovery.

Essential database resources for modern drug discovery.

ФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНАЯ ЗНАЧИМОСТЬ БАЗОВЫХ КАФЕДР В ВЫСШЕМ ОБРАЗОВАНИИ (ОПЫТ РАБОТЫ И ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ)

The purpose of creating basic departments was to provide students with practical experience and knowledge necessary for successful work in a specific professional field. This is achieved due to the fact that training takes place directly at the enterprise, where students are introduced to real working conditions and technologies. Experience has shown that such departments perform a number of important functions in universities aimed at improving the quality of the educational process and strengthening ties between academic institutions and industrial structures. In this regard, an increase in the number of industrial partners interested in establishing long-term relations with higher education institutions to ensure a personnel reserve is expected. Such cooperation opens up additional opportunities for the employment of graduates and their direct integration into production processes.

The impact of international trade relations on French borrowings into English in the sparkling wine industry: A corpus-driven study conducted by a terminologist

This article serves several purposes. First, it aims to consolidate the view that knowledge models make effective diagnostic tools that terminologists can use in their attempt to find answers to research questions about communication in professional fields. Secondly, the article serves to demonstrate the results of preliminary research into professional communication in the sparkling wine industry, with the working English-language model showing the presence of borrowings from French, the industry’s leading language. Notably, the percentage of French borrowings in the sparkling wine industry, an integral part of the domain of special wines, has been found to be greater than the percentage of loanwords from Portuguese and Spanish, leading languages in the fortified wine industries representing the same industrial domain (OIV 2022: I.1.4-1). This finding bears out the view that communication in a professional field may be typified by more than one leading (national) language. Moreover, outcomes of the study of encyclopaedic knowledge on sparkling wines, when combined with the results of the study into communication in the fortified wines sector (Nagórka 2021, Nagórka 2023: 94–105), indicate that the history of commercial ties between pertinent language communities (English-speaking community with French-, Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking communities) may be reflected in the scale of borrowing into English for professional purposes. The rise in borrowing from leading languages seems inversely proportional to the intensity of (amicable) trade relations between the communities concerned, a hypothesis that may contribute to explaining the observed differences in borrowability.

Research on Derivation and Application of Normal Distribution

With the progress of the times, probability theory has been widely used. The normal distribution is an important concept in the Chapter of probability theory. The normal distribution is a probability distribution with a bell-shaped probability density function curve. The probability density function is a function that describes the probability distribution of continuous random variables in a certain range. Now the normal distribution is also widely used. For example, in the weather, the average temperature, average humidity and rainfall in July each year, and the water level in the hydrology are also approximately normal distribution. Based on the definition of normal distribution and the theoretical knowledge of normal distribution, this paper studies the derivation of normal distribution formula and the application of normal distribution in daily life. Finally, the application of normal distribution is diversity in daily life, it is expected that this paper will provide specific reference for the study of the academic content of normal distribution and its practical application in professional fields.

기술 변화와 여성우세직종의 숙련구조 변동: 한·미 직업정보 연계 분석

Technological advancement not only affects the creation and extinction of occupations but also transforms the nature of work tasks and the skills required of workers. In the era of digital transformation, there are growing concerns about the potentially differential impacts of technological changes across gender. In Korea, where occupational segregation by gender is prominent, analyzing skill changes across all occupations alone is insufficient to derive practical implications for female workforce development. This study aims to identify female-dominated occupations in Korea and analyze their skill changes to derive policy implications for female workforce development in the digital transformation era. The methodology employs the Regional Employment Survey (2008, 2017) to identify female-dominated occupations and utilizes the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) to analyze skill changes between 2002 and 2016. Principal component analysis was conducted to systematically identify and analyze changes in major skill factors. The findings are as follows. First, occupational segregation by gender in Korea remains structurally entrenched. Female-dominated occupations are not only fewer in number, but also less than 0.5% of female workers are employed in managerial positions. Even within professional fields, women are concentrated in education, social welfare, healthcare, and cultural arts sectors. Second, high-order cognitive skills and social skills have consistently maintained the highest proportion among required skills. Third, while basic computational, language, and mechanical skills have declined, new skills such as software proficiency, resource management, and scientific management have emerged as significant requirements. This study provides empirical foundations for female workforce development in the digital transformation era by systematically analyzing skill changes in female-dominated occupations for the first time. The findings suggest the need for active education and training policies to enhance women's digital skills and support their entry into STEM fields.

상담 전공자의 질적 연구 수행 경험에 관한 자문화기술지

Objectives The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the research performance experiences of counseling majors as the importance of research performance capabilities expands in the professional development of counselors. In particular, we sought to in-depth explore what meaning it could have for counseling majors by focusing on the experience of conducting qualitative research. Methods For this purpose, the autoethnography research method of looking at and interpreting individual experiences in socio-cultural situations was applied, and the researcher's diary data, reflection data, thought data, and conversation data were mainly used accordingly. This data was analyzed through theory and prior research based on the scientist-practitioner model, research performance, and counselor professional development. Results As a result, ‘Introduction as a Qualitative Researcher: An Autoethnography Journal’, ‘Change and Growth Process through Qualitative Research’, and ‘Road to a Differentiated Counseling Expert’ were derived. The researcher experienced changes in herself as she encountered qualitative research for the first time, conducting research on her own experiences, and conducted research to prove herself as a doctoral student. Afterwards, I continued to conduct qualitative research and went through the process of finding internal motivation. And in the process of finding the essence in the uncertainty that only qualitative research has, I felt my own growth, and this extended to my life and professional field. Conclusions The results of this study provided a discussion on the meaning of the process of conducting qualitative research on the development process of counselors. This can be provided as evidence for the research performance of the scientist-practitioner model, which is the axis of counselor professional development, and is expected to be a material that can promote counselors' motivation to conduct research.