Professional Practice Knowledge Research Articles

A construção de saberes docentes no contexto de ações formativas colaborativas

O trabalho apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa desenvolvida no contexto de um subprojeto do Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação à Docência, com os bolsistas do grupo PIBID-Física da IES. Esses sujeitos participaram de um processo de pesquisa-ação colaborativa vinculado as ações formativas de acompanhamento de projeto, desenvolvimento e testagem de material didático, momentos de estudos e aulas compartilhadas, desenvolvidas num período de 2013 a 2016, no contexto da universidade e de duas escolas parceiras do PIBID. Nos momentos de reflexões sistemáticas, os sujeitos foram incentivados a realizar uma autoinvestigação, materializada em diários e bordo. A análise desses documentos e dos relatos escritos das reuniões semanais, sinalizam que as ações desenvolvidas nesse contexto, quando estruturadas em referenciais formativos, podem contribuir para uma integração significativa dos saberes disciplinares, curriculares e profissionais na prática docente e a construção do conhecimento pedagógico do conteúdo.

Reflection of Teacher Educator’s Professionalism on Prospective Teachers

Reflection of teacher’s own professionalism matters so the present study aimed to evaluate the reflection of teacher educator’s professionalism on their students. The survey was conducted to collect data by using two self-developed questionnaires one for teacher educators and others for prospective teachers. A sample of 155 teacher educators and 200 prospective teachers participated in this study randomly selected from one general university of Islamabad and seven universities of Punjab province. Analyses revealed that prospective teachers were highly reflecting professional attitude, professional practice and professional confidence while less professional commitment, professional ethics, and professional knowledge and competence. Teacher educators showed high level of professional commitment, professional leadership and supportive culture whereas less professional practice, professional ethics and professional knowledge and competence. Nevertheless, the prospective teachers were not properly acquiring teacher educator’s professionalism. Findings may be used in teacher education programs to enhance professionalism through organization of continuous professional development practices

Residência multiprofissional em saúde: percepções de residentes, preceptores e tutores

O presente estudo teve como objetivo descrever a percepção dos tutores, preceptores e residentes sobre a experiência vivenciada no programa de Residência Integrada Multiprofissional em Saúde da Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro (RIMS-UFTM), no que se refere à formação e qualificação profissional. Trata-se de uma pesquisa descritiva e exploratória com abordagem qualitativa, realizada em 2015. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevista semiestruturada e interpretados seguindo a análise de conteúdo temática. Emergiram as categorias: “Interesses e motivações pela RIMS – UFTM”; “Ações desenvolvidas pelos residentes, preceptores e tutores”; “A RIMS-UFTM como cenário de prática do trabalho em equipe” e “Sugestões para melhorias do programa”. Verificou-se que as experiências vivenciadas nesse programa foram vistas como uma oportunidade para ampliar o conhecimento teórico-prático profissional, acrescer o contato e aprendizado com os profissionais de diversas categorias e colaborar para mudanças no modelo de atendimento aos usuários do Sistema Único de Saúde.

Exploring knowledge landscapes: A narrative inquiry of midwives’ experiences of working in diverse settings in Ghana

Objective: This paper focuses on exploring the experiences of midwives in Ghana who have worked in diverse settings over time. It explores how midwives’ personal experiences across time, place and in diverse contexts impact their care for women during childbirth. The paper describes the forms of knowledge held by midwives. It presents how the experiences of midwives reflect their professional and personal practical knowledge landscape.Methods: Using narrative inquiry, the experiences of four midwives working in private maternity homes were explored. Being guided by the three-dimensional narrative inquiry space of temporality, sociality and place, and the concept of relational ethics, a meaningful relationship was built with participants over a period of five months. Several tape-recorded conversations were held with each participant, multiple other interactions were recorded as field notes and in a journal. Each tape-recorded conversation was transcribed and used to construct narrative accounts that reflected participants’ experiences as lived and told. Interim narrative accounts were shared with participants to ensure that the accounts reflected their experiences. Analysis: To identify resonant threads across all four narrative accounts, each account was read multiple times with intentionality and with the research objectives in mind.Results: Three distinct professional knowledge landscapes for midwives were identified. These were the professional knowledge landscape of working in rural communities, urban communities, and private maternity homes. Two concepts of knowledge: knowledge for midwives and midwives’ knowledge, were identified on each of these professional knowledge landscapes.Conclusions: Education of midwives should consciously take into consideration the different knowledge landscapes in which midwives in Ghana practice.

Does the New Kindergarten Teacher Education Program in Norway Provide Good Conditions for Professional Kindergarten Teachers?

This partly descriptive, partly critically reflective, argumentative article analyses the Norwegian kindergarten teacher education program through the three concepts that are mentioned in its national guidelines: research-based, profession-oriented, and practice-related education. An inseparable correlation between these at the level of higher educational institutions is a condition for the development of professionalism and competences to act that are, again, a condition for exercising professional knowledge in practice in kindergartens. A question that is posed continually in this chapter is how the various aspects of profession-oriented, research-based, and practice-related kindergarten teacher education can become conditions for educating professional kindergarten teachers. The conclusions address both the institutional and national levels at which certain improvements can be implemented to strengthen the professional growth of kindergarten teachers and, thereby, kindergarten quality.

A University and School Working in Partnership to Develop Professional Practice Knowledge for Teaching

Abstract The article reports on the University of Johannesburg’s efforts at offering a practice-based teacher education program in partnership with a university-affiliated school (a ‘teaching school’) with a view to developing inquiry-oriented novice teachers. The research aimed at exploring what it takes to develop a ‘learningplace’ (Conway, Murphy and Rutherford 2014) conducive to student teachers’ development of professional practice knowledge and the role of mentoring in this regard. A two-phase process of generating data was used. In the first phase the published research on the university-affiliated school was analyzed, using qualitative content analysis to look for patterns across the historical unfolding of the findings of these papers. In phase two a questionnaire was administered involving final year student teachers in the teacher education program. The research shows that a teaching school, if integrated into the program design and delivery, provides a rich practice learning site for student teachers. In addition, mentoring in cognitive apprenticeship mode could indeed be a powerful contributor to student teachers’ professional development. However, the overall programme design is decisive. The preparation of teachers with strong professional practice knowledge requires attention to four interrelated aspects of program design, namely program identity, organizational structures, curriculum and teacher education pedagogy. Addressing these aspects in an integrated manner would be difficult without working closely with one or more partnership schools.

An occupational therapy community of practice within pediatric acute care: fostering professional, social and cultural capital in resource challenged settings

Introduction: The need to address the way professional knowledge is produced and delivered, has led some occupational therapy scholars to advocate for the creation of communities of practice (CoP) where practitioners may find a generative environment to engage in reflection with others, to collectively share their knowledge, and to develop professional practice knowledge. CoPs may result in the development of social capital by strengthening practitioners’ social connections and advance cultural capital by improving collaborative forms of reflection and knowledge exchange. Objective: This article presents findings from a participatory action research project regarding the creation of a (CoP) with the aim to implement and examine its affordances among pediatric occupational therapists working in acute care in a Brazilian context. Method: This participatory action research involved nine occupational therapists in 10 face-to-face meetings and in virtual interaction through an e-learning software platform. The community of practice group sessions were recorded, transcribed and coded. The hermeneutic and dialectic method was used as the basis for interpreting the results. Results: Five major themes concerning the affordances of the Occupational Therapy CoP in this context were identified: (i) dialogic engagement; (ii) reflective opportunities; (iii) a sense of belonging; (iv) affirming professional identity; (v) cultivating professional practice knowledge. Conclusion: Developing a CoP in occupational therapy may be a fruitful way to cultivate professional, social and cultural capital amongst occupational therapists who work in resource challenged settings.

Capturing student teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) using CoRes and digital technology

ABSTRACTDuring the last decades, digital technologies have become more common in providing opportunities for reflection and in-depth analysis of classroom practices and have afforded new ways of organising teacher education. In particular, videotaped lessons have proven to be a valuable tool for capturing teaching episodes, subsequent reflection and development of student teachers’ professional knowledge, here referred to as ‘pedagogical content knowledge’ (PCK). The aim of this project was to investigate how the use of the reflective tool, content representations (CoRes) in combination with video and associated digital tools might be used as a means for capturing student teachers’ professional knowledge of practice. In the study we explore how a group of 24 secondary science student teachers were provided with Content Representations (CoRe) and video annotations to support their reflection-on-action during their practicum. Video annotations, alongside a written reflection of critical incidents in the student teachers’ teaching constituted data for analysis. Our findings suggest that the different tools enabled the student teachers to connect captured examples of teaching instances with theoretical issues, and in this way offered the ability to see as well as to analyse their teaching practice. As such, the CoRe, together with the video annotation tool, proved to be successful in scaffolding and structuring student teachers’ reflection-on-action, allowing them to connect their reflections to components of PCK and further to articulate connections between these components.

Developing common ground for a sustainable knowledge base for social work education in the Netherlands

ABSTRACTThis article is about a research project focused on the development of a common knowledge base for social work education in the Netherlands. Recent substantial changes in society and social policy were the reason for a reconsideration of the educational content of social work education. A great urgency was established with regard to the adaptation of the study programs, including a higher level of knowledge. The aim of the project was to provide a knowledge base that creates a bridge between theory and practice and between social work practice and the societal context. The project started with an exploration of literature focusing on the significance of knowledge for professional practice and on existing classifications of the knowledge base in social work education. Subsequently a design-based empirical study was carried out using the Delphi-method. Experts agreed about the definition of the knowledge base and about the design requirements: practice-based, science-based, usable and sustainable. After an exploration of the content, a model was developed consisting of seven building blocks (BBs). The common knowledge base has been established by the Dutch Council of Schools of Social Work and is being used as the basis for the body of knowledge in all curricula of social work education in the Netherlands.

An Integrated Success Factor Model of Professional Virtual Communities: Incorporation of the Operators, Members, and Life Cycle Perspectives

ABSTRACTDue to the growing importance of professional virtual communities (PVCs) to share professional knowledge in practice, this research proposes an integrated success factor model of PVCs encompassing (1) the componential aspect of a VC system from the operator’s perspective, (2) the knowledge-sharing aspect of a professional community from the members’ perspective, and (3) the VC’s life cycle perspective. An analytical framework was established from theories integrating dimensions from the perspective of operators and members and the virtual community life cycle. To collect and categorize the detailed items of success factors, a systematic literature review and a deductive content analysis were conducted with 64 selected articles. The content analysis results represented the specific perspective of PVCs distinguished from general virtual communities, highlighting factors such as reciprocity, content quality, self-efficacy, and recognition of contributions. Moreover, the inherent patterns in the model contingent to PVC life cycle stages were captured. First, different priorities in the relevant success factor dimensions were identified. Second, the patterns of changing values along with the life- cycle were recognized differently from the operators’ and member’s standpoints. This model can be utilized for the service providers of PVCs in terms of the business and design of PVCs as a strategic management tool and a design guideline.

Formação inicial e atuação profissional em Educação Física

Este trabalho de natureza descritiva investigou as interfaces dos conhecimentos da dança na formação inicial e na atuação profissional em Educação Física em cursos de Licenciatura do Estado de São Paulo. Participaram da pesquisa vinte professores atuantes da área. Foram utilizados o questionário e a análise documental dos programas das disciplinas relacionadas a dança de quatro Instituições de Ensino Superior aos quais os sujeitos foram submetidos em suas formações iniciais. Os dados foram tratados por meio da Análise de Conteúdo e os resultados indicaram os conhecimentos necessários à atuação profissional, possibilitando a tessitura de algumas relações entre a formação e a atuação profissional. Destacamos ser necessário apresentar com clareza os processos metodológicos e avaliativos que envolvem a dança, as vivências criativas, a contextualização dos significados históricos, culturais e sociais que a permeiam, elementos fundamentais na formação de futuros professores de Educação Física.

Disseminating Secret-Story-Knowledge through the Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices

ABSTRACTThis article is inspired simultaneously by the metaphor of professional knowledge landscapes and our experiences of the transformative potential of self-study methodology. We argue for the unique potential of self-study research, as a means not only for teacher educators to develop their pedagogy, but also to leave the mark of their experiences on the inhospitable terrain of teacher education reform. Central to our argument is our conceptual re-visioning of the professional knowledge landscape such that teacher educators’ knowledge of practice, typically contained in their “secret stories” of practice, comes to occupy a more public and prominent position on the landscape through self-study research. Locating our work within the Australian teacher education context, we highlight the ways in which current policy initiatives are redefining the work of teacher educators, and increasing the marginalization of teacher educators’ own perspectives and voices in the (re)production of knowledge about teaching. We offer a challenge to teacher educators to publicly participate in articulating and sharing their professional knowledge of practice through self-study.

Contribuciones de las tecnologías para la evaluación formativa en el prácticum

Resumen:La atención a la evaluación en el prácticum es un tema relativamente novedoso, porque tradicionalmente se ha enfatizado la experiencia de las prácticas en sí misma y su planificación junto a los aspectos de funcionamiento, organización y gestión del prácticum. En la actualidad se ha comenzado a prestar atención a la evaluación de los aprendizajes prácticos bajo un enfoque centrado en su carácter formativo, para favorecer el desarrollo personal, la mejora de conocimientos y capacidades y la preparación al mundo del empleo. Por tanto, es preciso atender a estrategias, instrumentos, criterios de evaluación y estándares que favorezcan valorar la construcción de conocimiento práctico profesional en la formación del profesorado. Es indiscutible que la evaluación formativa en el prácticum puede verse favorecida con el uso intencional de tecnologías para tal fin, tales como rúbricas electrónicas (eRubric/CoRubric), mapas conceptuales (CMapsTools), portafolios electrónicos (Moodle-Mahara), y anotaciones en vídeo (Open Video Annotation-OVA/CoAnnotation), entre otras. El artículo presenta una panorámica de varias experiencias con tecnologías para la evaluación formativa en el prácticum junto con reflexiones sobre su integración, potencial y contribuciones. Abstract:The attention to the evaluation in the practicum is a relatively new subject, because traditionally it has emphasized the experience of the practices in itself and its planning together with the aspects of operation, organization and management of the practicum. Currently, attention has been paid to the assessment of practical learning focused under a focus on its formative character, to promote personal development, improvement of knowledge and skills and preparation for the world of employment. Therefore, it is necessary to attend to strategies, instruments, assessment criteria and standards that favor valuing the construction of professional practical knowledge in teacher training. It is indisputable that the formative assessment in the practicum can be favored with the intentional use of technologies for this purpose, such as electronic rubrics (eRubric/CoRubric), conceptual maps (CMapsTools), electronic portfolios (Moodle-Mahara), and video annotations (Open Video Annotation-OVA/CoAnnotation), among others. The article presents an overview of several experiences with technologies for formative assessment in the practicum together with reflections on their integration, potential and contributions.

What makes health visiting successful—or not? 2. The service journey

This is the second of two articles reporting evidence from a programme of research that focused on how health visiting works, including service user and workforce perspectives. Evidence and professional expertise indicate that a set of essential features enable health visitors to achieve the desired impact of improving child public health. These include organising services in a way that enables positive parent–health visitor relationships, continuity and co-ordination and the flexibility to use professional knowledge and autonomy in practice. Where service specifications give careful attention to this evidence, it is more likely that health visitors will be able to deliver a successful child health programme for the early years.

Improve pharmacology training for nursing students

Often perceived as complex by nursing students, the "pharmacology and therapeutics" teaching unit provides fundamental knowledge for professional practice. In order to make students aware of the risk of errors during different stages and procedures of patient medication management, an original teaching scenario was established in Caen between l'Institut de formation soins infirmier and the university hospital. In particular, it includes a constructive look at the feedback of experience around medication error.

Crtitical reflective teaching practice

This paper emphasises the aspects that teachers should critically focus on when reflecting on their teaching practices. The paper emerged from a case study that was conducted in three secondary schools in Rundu- northern Namibia. Critical reflective teaching involves thought and action, and it raises teachers' consciousness pertaining to what they do. Through critical reflective practice, teachers scrutinize their beliefs and knowledge of the subject and their practice, through purposeful thoughtfulness. The selection of the three participants was based on their rich practical professional knowledge and exemplary teaching practices as evidenced. Interviews focused on 'when, what, how and why these selected teachers reflected critically on their practice. Data collection and analysis were done through an interpretive approach. Interviews and document analyses were the two research tools used for data collection and triangulation. Interpretations of the findings were validated through member checking where participants verified the interpretations made of their interview respectively.

Bobath Concept Structural Framework (BCSF): Positioning Partial Aspects Within a Holistic Therapeutic Concept

Background: The Bobath concept is a complex, holistic approach to neurorehabilitation. This complexity presents difficulties for describing Bobath therapy in a comprehensible way. The purpose of this project was to develop an external structure to promote a better understanding of how specific therapeutic procedures are categorized, how partial aspects can be organized and how their interactions can be made more obvious. Method: A scoping review of the literature was undertaken and clustered for keywords. These data were assigned to four levels of a framework model: Conceptual level (leading thoughts), Principle level (essential characteristics of the system), Method level (systematic procedures) and Technique level (the execution tools). Drafts of the framework were presented at annual conferences of the International Bobath Instructor Training Association (IBITA). Feedback from members was sought informally and in questionnaires. Results: The BCSF was supported by 75% of IBITA members (N = 107). In the Conceptual level, three aspects were established; propositional knowledge, individual client context and professional practice knowledge. Seven components are represented in the Principle level; optimizing activity and participation, problem solving, interactive - dialogue approach, client goal oriented, identification of potential, ongoing interplay of assessment and intervention and 24 hours approach. In the Methods level, three systematic procedures were identified; activation, shaping and repetition. At the Techniques level, four execution tools were described; communication, facilitation, assignment of task and environmental arrangement. Discussion: The BCSF provides a structure for further research into the Bobath concept. At a qualitative level, this structure will allow different aspects to be explored whilst still viewing a single aspect as a component of the whole. At a quantitative level, the BCSF clarifies what kind of therapy constitutes a Bobath intervention and the factors that need to be present at all levels of the framework. Conclusion: The BCSF is a useful tool where partial aspects of the Bobath concept can be categorized into a comprehensive classification system. This classification makes it possible to focus on specific items without losing the big picture and to identify partial aspects and their interactions more clearly. Specific procedures can be presented in a structured and transparent manner and well documented core elements for rehabilitation of people with CNS disorders can be demonstrated.

Proyectos multipropósito para la gestión de recursos hídricos en los Andes tropicales: planteamientos generales basados en proceso participativo

In view of an increasing magnitude of climate change impacts, adaptation has turned into a political priority at international level. The direction and attribution of adaptation measures imply a complex analysis process of characteristics and impacts of hydro-climatic and socioenvironmental systems in high-mountain regions. In the Tropical Andes, changes in the hydrological regime –and their subsequent impact on glacier shrinkage and socio-economic development in the region– require robust response mechanisms based on integrative analysis of multidimensional realities and landscapes. In this context, Multi-Purpose Projects for Water Resources (MPP-WR) represent promising strategies in order to deal with current and future challenges in high-mountain regions, considering a transdisciplinary-participatory approach. The present article aims to present a participatory pilot initiative in the field of water resources management and MPP-WR in Andean glacier areas. The workshop, called Winter School, emphasized a structured formulation process for MPP-WR, through which the elements that condition the design of sustainable water projects in the Tropical Andes were identified and analysed (e.g., access to scientific data, social conflicts, institutionality, local culture). Furthermore, through the design and formulation of the MPP, the relevance (and challenges) of a coordinated work between different disciplines and actors was demonstrated, in which both professional experience and local practical knowledge were considered. Future related studies and programmes should take into account the context, variables and scenarios for the formulation (and implementation) of MPP-WR, in order to contribute to robust adaptation measures on the long term in basins with multiple pressures over water resources.

The Campus Wells Program: preserving and re-tasking

I used existing groundwater monitoring wells in the Back Bay area of Boston, MA as an effective way to teach the applied aspects of integrating the natural world with the built environment. These wells were installed as part of engineering studies for construction and rehabilitation of campus buildings, and through their use in laboratory exercises, undergraduate students developed valuable, field-based insight into the physical meaning of environmental science, mathematical models of groundwater movement, and the practical knowledge of professional practice. I arranged ongoing permission to access these wells and prevent them from being plugged once construction was completed. I compiled the existing long-term well data from both the Northeastern University Physical Plant office and the geotechnical engineering firm who installed the wells, providing students with context for their field measurements in lab.This project gave undergraduate students in introductory and upper division environmental science courses an opportunity to learn about water quality issues, construction and excavation issues, architectural retrofitting, and historical water table changes through analysis of the data. Close proximity of the wells to the classroom made possible many independent student projects.Through the Campus Wells Program, I involved the working community - including the Physical Plant staff at multiple colleges, and professional geologists in the geotechnical engineering consulting firm - in the learning process. Students recognized that their class laboratory exercises contributed real data to a long-term study of the hydrogeology of the campus, giving students buy-in to the project. The Campus Wells Program is a virtually cost-free, practice-oriented teaching opportunity that any university undergoing construction or site cleanup can implement.

Teacher educators’ personal practical knowledge of language

This paper describes teacher educators’ understanding of language for classroom communication in higher education. We argue that teacher educators who are aware of their personal practical knowledge of language have a better understanding of their students’ language use and provide better support for knowledge construction. Personal practical knowledge originates from teachers’ professional practice and is based on their past experience, current awareness and future expectation. Data from focus group interviews with teacher educators (N = 35) were used for content analysis. Findings demonstrate an emerging conceptualization resulting in two language modalities of personal practical knowledge, specified as: ‘language-sensitive and interpersonally oriented’ and ‘language-focused and pedagogically oriented.’ The insights contribute to building a professional practical knowledge base of language and communication-oriented teaching.