Tool For Personal Development Research Articles

Stray thoughts – seeking home: Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt read in light of Wilfred Bion's ideas

Peer Gynt, the main character in Ibsen's dramatic poem from 1867, has fascinated scholars since its publication. After a lifetime of escapades, Peer finds himself lonely, detached and with feelings of deadness. Gradually, the underlying structure of his personality confronts him. With the help of Wilfred Bion's ideas, it is possible to trace a distinct pattern, where unprocessed thoughts seem to play a decisive role in hindering Peer's self‐realization. The main female character, Solveig, spends her life waiting for Peer. Eventually she develops into a container, ready to welcome Peer's stray thoughts. This paper demonstrates how she evolves Bionian capacities like reverie, and eschewing of memory and desire. The interpretation that follows thus challenges a tradition where Solveig is seen as a romantic figure who, like Goethe's Gretchen, is designed to save the male protagonist by unconditional love. This paper argues that Solveig plays a more active role towards Peer in offering significant tools for personal development. The paper concludes that Ibsen and Bion have uncovered elements of basic human conditions that in some significant ways seem to coincide.

G551(P) Introducing a paediatric mentorship scheme for trainees in the south west region

Context We developed a mentorship scheme for new paediatric doctors (Specialty Training Level 1) in our deanery. Mentoring is “a process of helping, supporting and encouraging paediatricians to develop their skills and to maximise their potential performance”. 1 The deanery is responsible for training 150 paediatric doctors across seven hospital trusts. Specific problem Maintaining focus on a paediatric trainee’s individual career interests can be challenging in light of higher clinical workload, staffing shortages and increasing requirement for continuous standardised assessments. Assessment of problem Paediatric services require large-scale transitions in the context of increasing workload pressures coupled to huge economic limitation. 2 It is essential the workforce approaches these changes in a positive, motivated way. Mentoring is well-established throughout different industries and organisations. It is a cost-effective, powerful personal development tool that encourages, supports and guides trainees in their individual goals. We anticipate this will benefit all parties: Junior trainees can readily access a friendly, reliable and supportive mentor with good working knowledge of the deanery, helpful contacts and experience of taking projects forward Senior trainees will improve mentoring, coaching and supervisory skills through a formal training course and develop these through practical application Patients and colleagues will benefit from motivated and enthusiastic trainees whose own educational and training needs are being considered A recent study from the London Paediatric Deanery 3 highlighted “a high demand for peer mentoring in paediatrics”. Their programme was highly valued by participants, who gained “significant benefits including acquisition of transferable skills and positive changes in behaviour”. Intervention We arranged a mentor training day for senior trainees from the region (ST4-ST8). A full-day workshop was organised, and fully funded, by the Southwest Leadership Academy. Twelve trainees wished to provide mentoring and were able to attend the course, many others registered their interest for future workshops. Delivered content included an introduction to the mentor role, approaches to effective mentoring, mentoring models, and contracting a mentor relationship. An interactive session followed to discuss how the mentoring programme should be developed. We produced a mentor handbook with further information on the mentor role and detail regarding the programme. We received excellent written feedback from the day (all trainees would recommend the workshop to colleagues). Programme design Trainees who successfully completed the mentor workshop were asked to write a 250-word statement about themselves (11/12 completed, one withdrew for maternity leave). We did not provide further guidance on statement structure or content as we wished to promote individuality and personality. We delivered a presentation at the ST1 induction day to advertise the scheme. We received very positive feedback, all ST1 trainees (14/14) wished to participate. We asked mentees to review all statements and rank them in order of preference. We were able to match all mentees to one of their “top-three” preferred mentors. We have arranged an evening for all participants to meet together. Following this, mentor-mentee pairs will meet 2–3 monthly. We anticipate that mentor relationships will continue throughout the ST1–3 period. Evaluation Feedback will be collected quarterly to evaluate the programme and guide future development. We aim to establish a successful rolling programme that offers effective mentoring to all future ST1 trainees starting in the deanery. Acknowledgements We benefitted from the experiences of Sarah Eisen and Seema Sukhani, who developed a mentor scheme in the London Deanery. We are grateful for their support and guidance. References Mentoring and clinical supervision for paediatricians. Paediatrician’s Handbook, Chapter 4.6, RCPCH, 2013 RCPCH. Facing the future – A review of paediatric services. April 2011 Eisen S, Sukhani S, Brightwell A, Stoneham S, Long A. Peer mentoring: evaluation of a novel programme in paediatrics. Arch Dis Child 2014;99:142–146, doi:10.1136/archdischild-2013-304277

Gendlin and ecopsychology: focusing in nature

Gendlin’s focusing emerged from person-centered research and is widely used within person-centered and experiential therapy. An increasing number of people are now practicing focusing in the natural environment. In this paper I develop key aspects of my doctoral research to investigate the significance of this practice. My research suggests that focusing in nature is not only a powerful tool for personal development but that it can also significantly deepen our sense of connection to the natural world. The phenomenological experience of focusing provides a challenge to the idea that every individual is a separate self, a belief that is common amongst adherents of classical person-centered theory. By challenging this notion, focusing in nature adds support to the more relational models of the self found in person-centered and experiential theory and beyond.

The use of reflective and reasoned portfolios by doctors

Reflective portfolios have been widely trailed in vocational programmes for health sciences education. While not raised explicitly yet, there is recognition that an essential part of a portfolio may still be missing - that is the experience of theoretical and analytic questioning that should occur after reflection. In this paper, we argue that portfolios require both reflective and reasoned components to provide a more complete range of educational experiences for postgraduate doctors in the pursuit of higher qualifications. We describe the differentiating features between the two components and conclude with some suggestions on how both reflective and reasoned components of portfolios may work synergistically through a series of case studies. The reflective style of portfolio, which is in current use, has been widely accepted as a major advance in postgraduate medical education at all levels. It provides an effective vehicle for encouraging self-consideration and generalizability. It is an important adjunct where it functions as a personal development tool as well as a sophisticated log book. A reasoned or pedagogic element encourages more analytic activities: adding an additional component that can ground the portfolio in theory or research. The portfolio is then able to function in a range of academic spheres and provide a theoretical platform for the wide range of non-clinical empirical work undertaken in clinical settings. The addition of a reasoned component also increases the emphasis on the introduction of new concepts outside the sphere of the learner's experience. A portfolio containing both reflective and reasoned components is then able to function in a range of academic spheres and provide a theoretical platform for the wide range of non-clinical empirical work undertaken in clinical settings. In an iterative mode, such a portfolio element can support a forum for questioning established concepts within a pedagogical environment - the essence of evidence-based practice.

Coaching non-adult students for enhanced examination performance: a longitudinal study

This paper reviews the development of coaching in schools and presents findings from a multi-school site longitudinal study in the UK. The paper starts by reviewing the coaching educational literature and identifies the growth of coaching in educational settings for teacher development and principal/head teacher performance. The paper uses as an example leading work in Sandwell Council to explore the potential for coaching to be extended to working with non-adult populations, specifically with children preparing for examinations and builds on previous studies in this area. The paper highlights the processes involved in training coaches in this project, the coaching process and the outcome of a three-year longitudinal study. It moves to discuss the emerging potential for coaching in working with non-adult students and how educational authorities can use the Sandwell example to develop their own programmes. The study shows the benefits of coaching when used as a personal development tool to support learning. It also reveals the potential for coaching as an intervention for non-adult populations, specifically in enhancing examination performance and its potential to become a government tool to address social disadvantage and, if targetted, to increase the number of children from lower socio-economic groups progressing to university. The paper lastly raises the question whether coaching can be used to address challenges faced by young people during periods of stress.

Gandhi's third assassination: Information and communications technology education in India

The impact that information technology can have on development is the subject of an ongoing debate. Central to this debate is the role of universities. Education shapes people's attitudes toward technology and determines how it will be used. This research shows that in India, students at higher educational institutions are socialized to believe that information technology can have a very positive impact on their country. They do not share the skepticism commonly found in Western literature. This research finds that first and foremost, IT is seen as a tool for personal development, where students can leverage their education to become rich and successful, either in India or abroad. Second, IT is seen as a tool for Indian ascension, lifting India to the status of a great global power. Only thirdly is IT seen as a means to assist in the development of India's poor population. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Learning and teaching

Learning and teaching

Action learning improves Oxford University Press

Action learning – often seen as only a tool for personal development – was the way chosen to open up the culture, sharpen up service provision, increase revenue and reduce costs in the UK Publishing Services division of Oxford University Press.

Action learning improves Oxford University Press

Action learning – often seen as only a tool for personal development – was the way chosen to open up the culture, sharpen up service provision, increase revenue and reduce costs in the UK Publishing Services division of Oxford University Press.

A computerized 360° feedback tool for personal and organizational development in general practice

360° feedback techniques (‘do we see ourselves as others see us?’) have been used extensively in the business sector for personal development. This paper describes a collaborative project in the UK in which the technique was contextualized for use in general practice, both as a personal development tool for individuals and as a practice development tool for the organization. The application is based on questionnaires for completion by practice clinicians, members of staff and patients. These questionnaires investigate perceptions about (a) standards of performance (individual or organizational) in a number of competency areas (patient care, management, team-work, professional standards and consulting); and (b) the importance of these areas in terms of overall effectiveness/efficiency. An iterative design was used to develop a computer program to aid data collection, automate data analysis and produce individualized results for participants/participating practices. The output identifies areas of effective performance and areas in need of improvement. The application was piloted and evaluated in seven practices, results being fed back to participants by primary care facilitators. All practices found the 360° output valuable. The computerized ‘Insight’ tool developed is sophisticated yet easy to use, having wide application in the areas of peer appraisal, practice planning and development.

Com avaluar les llistes de distribució

With the incorporation of new users to the network the electronic groups experience a spectacular growth. For many, the utility is questionable, irrelevant... For others it is a professional and personal development tool. Or a space of virtual learning, destined to play an important role in the education throughout the life that is prevailing as sign of our time. In this article we will explain the evolution that follows and will describe some indicators to evaluate them, most of the points with the data that we have gathered of the study and pursuit which we have made of Edulist, educative thematic forum, in the last two years.

Enhancing presentation dynamics through voice projection.

Teaching adult learners requires ongoing preparation and commitment to excellence by adult educators. Central to the educational process is the educator's teaching style. One of the most powerful yet frequently underdeveloped qualities is the educator's voice. The authors present the Voice Projection Instrument as a personal development tool for adult educators to assess and enhance their speaking effectiveness in the classroom.

The Decision Style Inventory : O.D. Applications

The use of the Decision Styles Inventory (DSI) is described in two different organisational development contexts. The first was at the organisational level, while the second was at the individual level. The results demonstrate the flexibility of the DSI as an organisational and personal development tool.