Professional Framework Research Articles

Exploring and reflecting on the influences that shape teacher professional digital competence frameworks

ABSTRACT The importance of Digital Competence in teacher education has increased in recent years resulting in a range of digital competency frameworks aimed at guiding national and regional governments in their integration of digital competence in teacher education. The discourses and assumptions underpinning digital competence frameworks are discussed in this paper using two influential supra-national competency frameworks, the UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers and the DigCompEdu, as examples. The theoretical reflection argues that several influences have shaped the current discourse. These influences include the rise of teacher performance and competency frameworks, the tradition of ranking teachers’ levels of technology use and the techno-centric education discourses that align technology use with constructivist practices. Through this theoretical reflection, the paper raises questions about their use in, and implications for, teacher education arguing that, while such frameworks provide helpful guidance for policy makers and teacher educators, they may stifle teachers’ professional autonomy and straight-jacket technology use in a linear and deterministic manner.

Exploring the alignment between paramedicine's professional capabilities and competency frameworks for current and evolving scopes of practice: a literature review

BackgroundTo adequately prepare graduates for the dynamic demands of paramedic practice, adopting a contemporary educational approach is essential. This involves collaborating to identify crucial competencies through input from industry stakeholders, experienced practitioners, and discipline-specific experts. Accreditation assumes a central role within this framework, serving as a cornerstone to ensure that paramedicine curricula align with paramedics' diverse and evolving professional roles.MethodsA narrative review of the literature and a directed search of grey literature were performed to identify specific developments in paramedicine competencies and scope of practice and mapped to the professional capabilities published by the Paramedicine Board of Australia. In determining a competency map and accreditation’s role in a competency framework specific to current and evolving paramedic practice, key documents were analysed using a qualitative approach based on content analysis to identify common traits among documents, countries and other professions.ResultsThe review process identified 278 themes that were further allocated to 22 major analytical groupings. These groupings could further be mapped to previously reported cognitive, technical, integrative, context, relationship, affective/moral competencies and habits of mind. At the same time, the highest-rated groupings were key competencies of intellectual skills, safety, accountability, clinical decision-making, professionalism, communications, team-based approach and situational awareness. Two groups were represented in the literature but not in the professional capabilities, namely Health and Social continuum and self-directed practice.ConclusionsThis review highlights the importance of measuring and validating the professional capabilities of Paramedicine Practitioners. The study explores various metrics and competency frameworks used to assess competency, comparing them against national accreditation schemes' professional capability standards. The findings suggest that accreditation frameworks play a crucial role in improving the quality of paramedicine practice, encompassing intellectual skills, safety, accountability, clinical decision-making, professionalism, communication, teamwork, and situational awareness.

Equitable Care for Patients With Disabilities: Considerations for the Gynecologic Health Care Professional.

All patients deserve high-quality health care. Patients with disabilities have historically experienced discrimination in health care and subsequently detrimental health outcomes. Health care professionals often lack confidence and preparedness in treating patients with disabilities effectively. Barriers such as communication difficulties, biased assumptions, and inadequate equipment hinder comprehensive care. These barriers to care lead to health inequalities and a diminished overall quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Existing clinical guidelines for care of this underserved population are lacking. This article establishes a comprehensive educational framework and accessible reference tools for gynecologic health care professionals to enhance their ability to offer inclusive and effective care to patients with disabilities. Insights in this article stem from expert consensus among clinicians experienced in this field and ongoing dialog with community-based disability care partners. We present actionable steps to cultivate an open, adaptable, and patient-centric method to actively engage patients and to provide suitable accommodations when needed.

Pastoral power manifestations within the guidance professionals’ talk on guidance practices

ABSTRACT Young people in the Nordic countries have many options and face obligations to participate in career guidance and counselling (guidance). In Finland, young people are subjected to multiple institutionalized guidance practices especially in educational transition phases. Guidance has various objectives as a public policy, thereby setting a framework for guidance professionals too. By using Foucault’s conceptualization on ‘pastoral’ power, we studied how guidance professionals (‘shepherds’) guide young people (‘the flock’) towards ‘wellbeing’. Our aim was to analyse how pastoral power is manifested in guidance practices by asking what governmental discourses the guidance professionals refer to when talking about guidance and how these discourses are practiced in guidance. Our data comprise Finnish guidance professionals’ interviews (n = 15). As a result, dominant governmental discourses of employability, economic efficiency and lifelong learning were identified. Guidance involved pastoral power and demanded employability and educability for the young. Guidance professionals have a crucial role in implementing governmental discourses into guidance practices. These practices create a narrow perspective for young people and guidance professionals, who are simultaneously the mediators and targets of governmental power.

Ethics And Deontology in Archival Practice: Uses and Epistemological Issues

Ethics and professional conduct have become central concerns in the archival profession, as well as in heritage-related fields, for several years. The integrity of cultural artifacts and the respect for the rights and dignity of individuals are of paramount importance. These principles are governed by a professional archival framework and specific codes of conduct that archivists must adhere to. This paper delves into ethical and deontological considerations within the context of an archivist's role. It explores how these considerations impact every stage of the archival process, from acquisition to giving access to documents for users. To offer a comprehensive understanding of the various layers of ethical management in the archival field, we have developed a holistic diagram encompassing all the elements that shape a professional's actions throughout the archive processing journey. Part of these elements belong to the professional framework and another part of them is linked to the subjectivity factors specific to the archivist. This model takes into account, in particular, the dynamics between various stakeholders in the system, including the relationships between archivists and creators of archives, as well as the relationships between archivists and users of archives. These relationships further underscore the societal role of the archivist.

Viable control of COVID-19 spread with vaccination

The rapid and widespread transmission of COVID-19 has necessitated the development and implementation of effective control measures. Vaccination has emerged as a key tool in combating the pandemic. This article introduces a novel approach to modeling the dynamics of COVID-19 transmission by integrating vaccination strategies into the susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) framework using viability theory. We have defined a set of constraints including a guaranteed level of vaccination, we analyze the impact of different vaccination rates on curbing the spread of the virus. Our findings reveal the significant role of vaccination in reducing transmission and offer valuable insights into optimizing vaccination campaigns. The viability-based SIR model provides a comprehensive framework for policymakers and healthcare professionals to devise targeted strategies and allocate resources effectively in the battle against COVID-19.

Teacher Professionalism in Higher Education: An Analysis of Multiple Identities Based on the UK Professional Standards Framework

Teacher Professionalism in Higher Education: An Analysis of Multiple Identities Based on the UK Professional Standards Framework

What Do Supervisors’ and Supervisees’ Think About Mindfulness-Based Supervision? A Grounded Theory Study

ObjectivesMindfulness-based supervision (MBS) is a vital support for teachers of mindfulness-based programmes (MBPs), and good practice guidance requires mindfulness teachers to have at least 4 hr of MBS a year. Despite this, underpinning theory and research on MBS is sparse. This study explores the perspectives of supervisors and supervisees to identify helpful and unhelpful processes within MBS.MethodA total of 12 supervisors and supervisees participated. Two phases of semi-structured interviews took place, the first with all 12 and the second phase with a selected six participants. A conceptual model of how MBS affects the teaching of MBPs was developed using a constructivist grounded theory approach.ResultsAll participants spoke of how MBS is a highly experiential way of developing skills to competently teach MBPs, supported through the relationship between supervisor and supervisee. MBS uses a mindfulness-based relational inquiry process characterised by specific ways of speaking, listening, and pausing. This inquiry supports the supervisee to cultivate an embodied way of knowing, a deliberate stance of “not knowing”, and to take an approach mode rather than avoidance mode towards vulnerability. During the interviews, participants emphasised the collaborative approach within MBS, but showed little acknowledgement or recognition of the inherent power with the role. Potential tensions in the holding of professional and ethical frameworks within MBS were identified.ConclusionsRecommendations are made about how the key findings can be brought into the ongoing good practice within MBS. Future changes within MBS should address issues of bias, diversity, and inclusivity.

Internal Control System Landscape of a State University in a Highly Urbanized City

This qualitative case study approach allows for a detailed exploration of internal control systems in HEIs, focusing on their implementation and functioning within various institutional settings. By employing in-depth interviews, the study gathered comprehensive information on the internal control processes of a government-funded HEI in a highly urbanized city. The key findings reveal that the hiring process is thorough, ensuring fairness, transparency, and compliance with governmental and institutional regulations. The training process is well-organized within the institution’s professional development framework. The procurement process is highly structured and transparent, emphasizing compliance and accountability. The budget process is formalized and governed by strict frameworks, and the payroll process is meticulously regulated to ensure accuracy, compliance, and transparency. Furthermore, the study underscores the need for public HEIs to continuously adapt their policies and procedures to the complex and evolving regulatory landscape, which is both time-consuming and costly. To enhance financial governance, ensure regulatory compliance, and maintain transparency and accountability, the study recommends training on the importance of following Commission on Audit (COA) guidelines and the Government Accounting Manual (GAM).

Explorando teorias, modelos e estruturas profissionais para construções orientadas para a justiça: uma revisão de escopo

Abstract Introduction The role of systemic marginalization in negatively impacting the health and wellbeing of individuals and populations is well-established. Although the profession has begun to address the impact of colonialism in clinical and educational contexts, these topics are less represented in the underpinning theories, models, and frameworks that guide research, practice, and education. Objective To identify and analyze peer-reviewed journal articles about professional theories, models, and frameworks describing justice-oriented constructs. Method We searched for journal articles published between 1971 and 2021 as indexed in PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and Web of Science. We used the Levac et al. methodology and followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews extension (PRISMA-ScR) and the JBI Scoping Review Network. Included articles featured theories, models, frameworks that described justice-oriented constructs. Results Forty-five articles published from 1987 to 2021 met inclusion criteria. These included 19 models, 19 frameworks, five theories, and two paradigms. The majority of articles originated in Canada, the United States, and Australia and within the past 20 years. The most commonly described constructs were inclusion, culture, and occupational justice. Conclusion This scoping review provides an overview of publications describing theories, models, and frameworks in occupational therapy literature that include justice-oriented constructs. Although justice-oriented constructs were the central topic in 35 articles, the context was not explicitly connected to professional activity. Only seven articles discussed research, which reveals a major concern considering its foundational role in the profession.

Óvodapedagógusok a romániai kisgyermeknevelés intézményi változásának sodrásában

In Romania since 2022 the nursery education has been moved from the social area into the educational system, according to 100/2021 Emergency Government Decree. The effects of the changes caused by this regulation in the institutional system are wide-ranging and may affect kindergarten teachers as well. In our paper we are going to the answer on one hand, to what extent the appearance of early childhood education within the framework of educational institutions is known by kindergarten teachers; on the other hand, what kind of reception reactions to the changes brought about by the modification can we outline; and what new alternative career opportunities it reveals for the research sample. Accordingly, the aim of our research is to map the institutional structure variants outlined by the legal regulations, the examination of attitudes towards these changes and exploring the effects on career aspirations of kindergarten teachers. We start from the assumption that the changes in the law reveal alternative career paths for kindergarten teachers, which is more attractive for those with a pragmatist approach. Our second hypothesis is that the movement of early childhood education into the educational segment is ambivalently judged, as opinions are nuanced on the scale of risk association and opportunity recognition. We have used the method of document analysis, and the empirical research is based on a self-made questionnaire. Using an access sampling procedure, we included 213 Hungarian kindergarten teachers from Romania in our study. Through the investigation, we clarify the institutional alternatives of early childhood education in Romania, outline the professional framework of the early childhood education profession, and the possible alternative career paths, as well as their assessment by kindergarten teachers. Our results show that the reception reactions of the mentioned institutional changes are positive among kindergarten teachers, who emphasize also that this structural modification provides the possibility of validation of the early education curriculums integrated approach and practical application.

A Discourse of Justice and Legal Certainty in Stolen Assets Recovery in Indonesia: Analysis of Radbruch’s Formula and Friedman’s Theory

This paper critically examines stolen assets recovery in Indonesia, employing Gustav Radbruch's legal philosophy, which asserts that justice is the purpose of law and any rule failing to promote justice is invalid, along with Lawrence Friedman’s sociological theory. The aim is to illuminate Indonesia's challenges and opportunities in recovering ill-gotten assets, an issue intertwined with corruption, transnational crime, and international cooperation. Radbruch’s formula serves as the moral and ethical basis for evaluating asset recovery. It prioritizes justice in legal systems, insisting that just laws are the only legitimate ones. This paper applies Radbruch’s formula to assess Indonesia's legal frameworks and processes for asset recovery, emphasizing principles like fairness, equity, and legitimacy within this context. Furthermore, this study incorporates Friedman’s sociological theory, which examines how law evolves in response to social norms and values. It explores how sociocultural factors in Indonesia influence the development of legal mechanisms, public attitudes, and enforcement strategies regarding asset recovery. These perspectives offer valuable insights into Indonesia’s asset recovery challenges. They underscore the need for a holistic approach that integrates ethics, law, and sociology to enhance fairness and effectiveness. International collaboration is also emphasized due to the transnational nature of illicit financial flows. This paper contributes to a nuanced examination of Indonesia’s stolen assets recovery. By bridging legal philosophy and sociological theory, it provides a comprehensive framework for policymakers, legal professionals, and scholars engaged in pursuing justice and asset recovery in Indonesia and beyond.

White privilege and professionalization: a decolonial and critical feminist perspective on professional nursing

This article offers a critical perspective linking invisibility with the political foundations of the dominant, Eurocentric model of modern nursing. Using critical feminist and decolonial feminist frameworks, this paper begins by analyzing gendered, reproductive labor in the centuries leading up to the industrial revolution in Britain and Europe and how the current dominant model of nursing was developed. The second part of the paper suggests a critical link between white supremacy, colonial violence and the professionalization of nursing work. Finally this paper calls on nursing scholarship to move beyond the narrow definition of nursing within the professional framework to include people who have done and continue to do the work of nursing despite being denied the title because of segregation and colonial violence.

Leading Academic Development in Dynamic Higher Education International Settings

Within the super complex higher education environment academic development inhabits a dynamic domain that varies from institution to institution. Leading academic development requires the ability to effectively lead change, people, programmes, and yourself. This paper provides a critically reflective narrative of my experiences leading academic development across a lifespan in Australia and the UK. The narrative of my leadership development is shaped by my reflection on the University of Liverpool’s Leadership Commitment Framework and the UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education and integrated throughout three case studies. The first case study, set in a large Faculty in an Australian university, explores inspirational, distributed, and entrepreneurial leadership; academic development initiatives are relatively informal in this case. The second case study, set in a large Australian university at the institutional level explores strategic leadership of processes and people; academic development initiatives are more formalised through university governance processes in this case. The third case, set in a Russell Group university in the UK, explores transformational leadership relevant to leading academic development teams and programmes in a highly regulated environment. Across the three cases issues of identity, influence, and power in relation to leading academic development in dynamic environments are explored and insights highlighted to provide advice and guidance to aspiring leaders of academic development and leaders of learning and teaching in higher education.

“On the edge of glory and hanging on a moment of truth”: PgCAP in a rapidly changing and uncertain world

The last three years have seen rapid changes to learning, teaching and assessment in Higher Education. This paper shares our experiences of leading, teaching and reaccrediting a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PgCAP) during this time. The PgCAP, much like the staff enrolled on the course, has had to adapt, innovate, and experiment to meet the various challenges. This has included an unplanned move online, to a planned online approach, through to our current blended by design delivery method. Throughout we have sought to model best practice with the risks and rewards this brings. Our revised PgCAP was approved internally in 2022 and subsequently successfully reaccredited with Advance HE on the Professional Standards Framework (PSF). Some of this process was exciting: we felt at the forefront of changes to learning and teaching, to be charting new developments in technology and interaction which our learners could then use in their own teaching. But part of this process was also daunting, feeling we were one moment away from crashing and failing. We tried to learn from those failures and become comfortable working on the edge, with an ever-changing set of priorities and expectations (from ourselves, our learners, and our institution). Our case study: (1) reflects on the challenges, pressures and opportunities associated with PgCAP programmes to model best practice (even in times of crisis), (2) shares how our blended by design approach came about, how it works, and the feedback we have received from participants, (3) demonstrates how we refreshed our content, intended learning outcomes and assessments to map to the PSF 2023.

Evaluating the impact of cross-institutional teaching enhancement collaborations using a professional capital framework

PurposeThis study aimed to evaluate the impact of four cross-institutional teaching enhancement projects (TEPs), a relatively new form of professional collaboration. The focus is on the impact at departmental, institutional and cross-institutional levels because such impact is the main reason for establishing cross-institutional TEPs.Design/methodology/approachA professional capital framework guided the examination of decisional and social capitals at departmental, institutional and cross-institutional levels. A theory-of-change method was adopted to collect data from 35 sets of documents, 22 project members and 65 stakeholders.FindingsThe authors found five forms of impact, showing the development of decisional and social capitals mostly at institutional and cross-institutional levels, whilst signaling the relatively weak impact at departmental levels. Therefore, the values of cross-institutional TEPs have not been fully realized and future endeavors need to better utilize the capitals in programs.Originality/valueFew studies evaluated the impact of large-scale, cross-institutional TEPs. The authors offered new contributions by gauging the impact of these under-explored forms of complex professional collaborations.

The essential role of ABCD in developing two community engagement frameworks for supporting Latinx students


 
 
 Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) is an important framework to understand and develop community-engagement experiences for Latinx students, especially at Hispanic Serving Institutions that play an important role in educating Latinx students. This article presents the conceptual findings of a research project that looked at the community-engagement experiences of Latinx students at an HSI. Drawing on in-depth interviews and critical frameworks for engagement, two models were developed: Prism of Liberatory Engagement and Asset Based Critical Engagement. These frameworks are presented as ways to (1) understand and differentiate the service learning experiences of Latinx students and (2) provide a framework for faculty and Community Engagement Professionals (CEPs) to situate their courses and community relationships, and work from an asset-based philosophy of engagement. The Prism of Liberatory Engagement gives explicit attention to the themes (awareness, agency and action; positive interaction with faculty; engaging sameness, and engagement for uplift) and the significant factors (personal/familial trauma, constraints and previous experience with service) that shape the community-engagement experiences of Latinx students. The Asset Based Critical Engagement model presented in this article provides a theoretical asset-based framework for critical pedagogy for service learning and community engagement that can be vital for institutions, in and outside of the United States, which are serving an increasingly diverse student population.
 
 

Reimagining the joint task force core competency framework for rural and frontier clinical research professionals conducting hybrid and decentralized trials.

Introduction: Clinical research professionals (i.e., clinical research assistants, clinical research nurses, clinical research coordinators, etc.), as outlined by the Joint Task Force (JTF) Core Competency Framework, are highly trained to support the breadth of clinical trial operations and manage participant care. Clinical research professionals are uniquely equipped with a scope of practice that permits product administration, participant assessments, and data management. As clinical trials grow in complexity and their management expands beyond traditional, site-based operations models to decentralized and/or hybrid models, the need becomes great to ensure adequate staffing. However, rural hospitals frequently lack the research staff or patient recruiters that would allow them to support decentralized clinical trials across a sizeable rural geographic demographic. Methods: This paper examines the contributory factors of the clinical research professional workforce contraction and response efforts at professional and organizational levels within a large, Magnet-designated healthcare system in the rural northwestern United States. Perspectives are shared on adapting the Core Competency Framework to reflect the unique strengths and opportunities towards decentralized trials in rural regions of the United States and areas of priority for workforce cultivation and retention. A descriptive survey was used to gather initial data identifying the current research perspectives of healthcare workers working across a rural community. Participants were asked to complete questions about the JTF Competency domains and behavior-based questions. Analysis: Both competency and behavior-based questions were asked and related to roles. These were then cross-referenced using a Rasmussen Ladder system. Descriptive statistics were conducted for sample characteristics, self-reported competency domain questions, and behavior questions. Results and discussion: Survey findings suggest that although healthcare workers and clinical research teams interact, they are unlikely to ask their patients to participate in research. Based on the limited response rate, results suggest that better education throughout the rural community could benefit from decentralized research efforts. Increased use of technology was also highlighted as an area of interest.

Clinical Nurse Specialists: Professional Framework and Qualifications

Achieving enhanced healthcare quality by participating in cross-disciplinary medical teams and providing specialized, precision nursing are core professional values of clinical nurse specialists (CNSs). Although CNSs are crucial in the healthcare field, the development of CNSs in Taiwan remains in its infancy. The Taiwan Nurses Association has already announced regulations related to professional frameworks and scope of practice for advanced practice nurses and has reached a preliminary consensus and plans on the definition, qualifications, and indicators of care for CNSs. The clinical application, job titles, and certification of the professional core values of CNSs require continuous and joint deliberation and development by professional nurse organizations. In this study, the results of empirical research into professional organizational frameworks and certification of CNSs in Europe, the United States, and Australia were used to derive a reference model for CNS education and training development for advanced practice nurse specialties in Taiwan. The fundamental elements of the roles and professional frameworks and feasible qualification certification systems were also explored.

Teachers’ Perceptions of the DBR-CPD Program as a Change in Pedagogical Practice in the Professional Development of EFL Teachers

Facilitating change in teaching pedagogical practices through designed school-based research projects (DBR) offer teachers the opportunity not only to make change in their teaching sustainable but also to construct a professional perception framework that leads to said change. This paper investigates how the teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) or second language (ESL) perceive the change process in their pedagogical practices during their involvement in a DBR programme that aimed to develop their teaching to improve their students’ literacy skills. The data was gathered by implementing a mixed-methods study through the use of questionnaires and interviews. The results indicate that there are main factors that govern the process of the change in perception for the EFL/ESL teachers during their professional development program as non-native teachers of English, including contextualisation, diversity and the innovation levels of the pedagogical practices in the non-native English-speaking context.