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Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education Lisbeth Haastrup. Institute of Education, University of Aarhus, Denmark

Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

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Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education. Lisbeth Haastrup . Institute of Education, University of Aarhus, Denmark. Problem. C hanging and different completing/retention rates in danish professional educations programs - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Lisbeth Haastrup. Institute of Education, University of

Aarhus, Denmark

Page 2: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Problem

• Changing and different completing/retention rates in danish professional educations programs

• Longer education than estimated especially for teacher students

• Drop out rate highest at the first internship period

Page 3: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Completing rate for the four programs in focus

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 200940

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

Pædagoger Sygeplejersker LærererBygningskonstruktører Ingeniører

Page 4: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Research project and partners

• 4-year (2009-12) project financed by Danish Council for Strategic Research.

• Institute of Education, Aarhus University, Denmark

• KORA. The National Institute for Municipalities and Regions Analysis and Research

• University College Copenhagen, UCC• Engineering College, University of Aarhus,

Page 5: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

New demands actualize theory-practice as a problem

• Theorethical academic demands are increased.• “Professionsbachelor reform” 2001, admission to

further academic education.• Centralized University Colleges including most

programs.

• Internship tend from periods of waged internship, toward a subject like others in the program.

• Demands on study-activities, analytical distance and theoretical reflection during the internship.

Page 6: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

6

Bridging the gap between theory and practice - an old and a new qustion

Page 7: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Bridging what?

• Bridging as metaphor is designating a difference but also a necessary relation in professional education between:

• Theory and practice • University colleges and internship workplace• Positions in education - student, teacher,

supervisor • Education and professional work

Page 8: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Research questions

1. How is theory-practice relations and the students drop out connected in professional education programs?

2. How is bridging understood and done in different professional educational programs?

3. What kind of bridges could be built to improve coherence, learning and minimize retention?

Page 9: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Project design 2009-2012:

Quantitative

• Identify connections between retentions and student experienced coherence between theory and practice

• Benchmark analysis: constructing indicators for the colleges performance of coherence between theory and practice in relation to drop out

Qualitative

• Fieldwork; observations, interviews at 8 colleges, 1 heigh/1 low score• Following students before, under and after their forst internship

Intervention

• Investigations of theory-practice interventions • Surprising practices an intervention for teachers.

Page 10: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Four programmes in focus

Program Faculty Employment Size

Pre-school teacher

Peadagogic Public sector Nr. 1

Teacher Peadagogic Public sector Nr. 2

Nurse Health Public sector Nr. 3

Ingeneer Technique Privat sector Nr. 5

Page 11: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Organisation of four programmesProgram Length of

educationInternships part of education

Internship in the program

Pre-school teacher 3 ½ years 1,25 year 1x 10 weeks + 2 x ½ year waged

Teacher 4 years 0,6 1 x each year

Nurse 3 ½ years 1,5 Integrated in the half of 14 moduls

Ingeneer 3 ½ years 0,5 1 x ½ year, waged, at third year

Page 12: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Qualitative subproject

Methode Informants Numbers Datacollection

Observation StudentsLecturesIntern-supervisors

2 school classes 2-62-8on 2 X 4 university colleges

2010-2011Before, under and after the students first internship

Interviews StudentsLecturersInternship-supervisors

6-102-62-8

2010-2011Before, under and after the students first internship

Document analysis

The Ministry of educationUniversity-collegesInternship institutions

National and local

2 X 4 programmes

2009-2013

Page 13: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Theoretical perspectives

• Cultural analysis • Programme coherence • Processes in time and space• Relations between students, teachers and

supervisors

Page 14: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Model

Professional education

LogosTheory

Place of internship

Practice

ToposPlace of

education

Page 15: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Model of students processes in education programs

Student

LogosTheory

Place of internship

Practice

ToposPlace of

education

Page 16: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

The students processes in and out the professional education:

• 1. Bridging between high school and professional education, between pupil and student.

• 2. Bridging between place of education and place of internship and the two places expectations and standards.

• 3. Bridging between being a student and an employed at the place of internship

• 4. Bridging between professional education and future professional practice, from student to professional employed.

Page 17: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Drop out or hang on situations in the proces

• Every bridging process involves drop out/hang on decisions.

• Every bridging process involves experiences about both TOPOS and LOGOS

• Every bridging process are a possibility for learning

Page 18: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Model of students processes in programs

Education program

LogosTheory

Internship supervisor, professional

employeed, leaders, managers, politiciansPupils, users, patients

Practice

ToposLecturers, leaders,

managers, politicians

Page 19: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Inclusion and exclusion

• Alternating periods of theoretical study at school or university with periods of practical training provoke and promote both drop out and hang on.

• Asigned or applyed internship does a difference for the students motivation and conditions at the workplace.

• High demands for admission to and completing the program are a way to strenghten a programme and a professional identity and status.

• Low demands for admission and low selection are a way to weeken a programme and a professional identity and status.

Page 20: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Contradictions?

Contradiction between goals for:• High number of students in professional education

programs• High completing rate• Completing at the expected time

• High quality of programmes• High quality of student competences• High status of professions

Page 21: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Theory-practice conceptions

• Different theory-pratices concepts and relations intertwinned

• Connected in a complex way to:• Place• Situation• Position• Subject matter

Page 22: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Four models of theory an practice according to Estelle R. Jorgensen (2005)

Relations Boudaries Ontology Metodology Models

Dichotomy Hard boundaries Dualism Descriptiv T | P

Polarity Soft boundaries Polarity

Descriptiv T<--->P

Fusion No boundaries Holism

Normativ (T+P)

Dialectical Exchanging boundaries

Epistemology

Descriptiv and normativ

T->-<-P

Page 23: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

An example

• Skill- lap situation at college in a nurse programme

• Before first internship

Page 24: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

”Underviserne markerer overgangen til færdighedslaboratoriet meget klart og introducerer de regler, der gælder for påklædning, hygiejne og opførsel i klinikken. De studerende skal bære kittel og have håret samlet med elastik, ellers kan de ikke komme ind i færdighedslab.

Ved observation af undervisning i færdighedslaboratoriet blev holdet delt i tre med 5 studerende med hver sin underviser. De studerende skal på skift agere sygeplejerske og en patient, der skal sengebades. Dette rollespil, de studerende imellem, giver anledning til megen morskab, og ind imellem har de mulighed for at gå ud af rollerne og tale til hinanden som studerende. ”

Page 25: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Tre undervisere – tre forhold mellem teori og praksis

1. ”Den første underviser, som også er klinisk vejleder for nogle af de studerende i praktik, giver konkrete praktiske instrukser, om hvordan vaskekluden skal foldes og holdes, ”nu skal du gøre sådan”.

2. Den anden viser og forklarer ”hvordan man skal gøre” og at det kan gøres forskelligt, bare man overholder de grundlæggende hygiejneprincipper. Hun observerer, kommenterer og giver gode råd.

Page 26: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

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Tre undervisere – tre forhold mellem teori og praksis

3. Den tredje vejleder spørger ”hvorfor gør du sådan” og ”hvad kan der ske hvis du gør sådan” og prøver at inddrage elementer fra klasseundervisningen.

Da de kommer til vask af benene, siger hun ”nu skal I bruge alt hvad I har lært i fysiologi” Hun opfordrer dem til at undersøge benet. ”Hvad ser du ved benet?” Den studerende ser først ikke noget, men vejlederen spørger til udseende, huden og temperaturen, og guider dem videre til at huske teori om puls og temperatur. De taler om tegn på huden, blodforsyning og en studerende måler puls, mens vejlederen fortæller om pulsen og dens betydning.”(Observation)

Page 27: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Færdighedslab som bridging

”(…jeg synes færdighedslab er helt vildt godt(…)jeg synes i starten når man fik alt det der anatomi og fysiologi, jeg tænkte bare.

Det er der jo ingen der kan huske, alt det der, hvad skal vi bruge det til, men hvor man, da man så kommer i færdighedslab, får man bare koblet det hele sammen.(…)

(Interview med studerende).

Page 28: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Point

• Alternating and reflected theory-practice conceptions and practice in the program as such, provoke and promote learning and coherence.

• Each program has their own specific TOPOS and LOGOS to bridge.

Page 29: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Pre-school teacher program

• The Pre-school teacher program are caracterized by general peadagogical and psychological theory combined with activity subjects, towards different target groups.

• The preschool-teacher students have long internship periods to “try to be a pre-school-teacher” in a personal development process with the users. Theory and practice becomes a whole.

Page 30: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Teacher program• The teacher program are characterized by wide limits of

the individual professional to choose methods and practicing in her own way in her own class.

• Theory may not require or justify a specific practice, but can provide general concepts to reflect with.

• The teacher students have a challenge to integrate pedagogical theory with the theory of the school subjects and “find their own way of beeing a teacher”.

Page 31: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Nursing program

• The nursing program are characterized by theory from both natural science and ethical care.

• The students have to perform and practice correct nursing skills by integrating and reflecting theoretically based reasons from both kinds of theory.

• Moduls of theoretical education and clinical internship are intertwinned, and supportet by ”skill labs”.

Page 32: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Engineering program• The engineering program are characterized by

projectbased problemsolving, using engineering metods. • Theories, methods and models are used in a flexible way

dependent on the project, both on campus and at engineering work in companies.

• Teamwork and accept of goals and hierarchical relations are expected, and not talked about.

Page 33: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

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Sammensatte kulturelle praksisser

• Forskelle• Sammenfald• Modsætninger

• Systematiske bud på udfordringer I brobygning:• mellem teori og praksis • For alle I professionsuddannelserne• På institutions- og individniveau• Mellem livsformer

Page 34: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

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Challenges and opportunities for a theory-practice ”didaktik”

• Development of didaktikker focused on specific theory-practice conceptions and conditions

• Development of program organisations, bridging university colleges and internship workplaces – Defining a ’third learning place and space”

• Development of a common language about theory-practice relations for both lecturers and supervisors

• Development of a ’meta-didaktik’ concerning theory-practice conceptions and conditions of why and how.

Page 35: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

“Surprising practices”.

• The idea is to inspire lecturers to become more conscious of the implicit assumptions concerning theory and practice in their teaching.

• Focus on and discussion of different theory and practice relations, between lecturers inside the same program, and between programs.

Page 36: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

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New forms of cooperation between university colleges and professional workplaces?

Possibilites for experiments > no assesmentFocus on development > not on students

adjustment to university or internship culture/TOPOS

Common project for lecturers, students and professionals.

Reqruitment to the cooporation with mutual obligations and contributions.

Page 37: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

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En ‘idealtypisk’ model- Undervisere og folkeskolelærere samarbejder om formulering af en

problemstilling / et fælles eksperiment som undersøges/udføres i praksis/skolen

- Underviseren og de studerende forbereder og bearbejder en fælles undersøgelsen/eksperiment.

- Supervisor kan deltage i forberedelse/bearbejdning på uddannelsen

- Underviseren og de studerende udfører ‘eksperimentet’/undersøgelsen i praksis i fællesskab i et fælles rum

- Samarbejdet udspiller forskellige relationer mellem teori og praksis

Page 38: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

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Perspectives in new forms of bridging Mulighed for faglig fokusering / fordybelse i et fagligt område

Mulighed for at følge og facilitere de studerendes lære- og ‘oversættelsesprocesser’ tæt

Mulighed for at følge processer på praktikstedet

Mulighed for styrket forståelse af teori / teoriers brugbarhed

Mulighed for styrket oplevelse af praksisrelevans

Mulighed for at skærpe formål og fokus i praktikken?

Page 39: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

To talk and reflect on theory and practis

• Conceptualization, thematization and discussion of different theory- practice conceptions.

• Awareness of different conceptions and expectations between teachers, students and internship supervisors.

• Awareness of different social- cultural related conceptions and expectations between the four educations and among the students in each of them.

Page 40: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Third learning spaces and common learning places

• Establishment of different types of "third learning spaces" between theory and practice,

(Skill-labs, teaching-labs, laboratories)• Organization of ”third common learning

places” for as well students, teachers and supervisors.

• Establishment of reflection-spaces for theory-practice conceptions

Page 41: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Bridging TOPOS and LOGOS as a solution?

• At an individual level:• For students completing education• For better learning processes• For better professional competences• For better academic competences

• At an institutional level:• For efficient and transparent organizational structures and

cooperation between institutions• For development of programs and professions and new

relations between students, college lecturers and supervisors.

Page 42: Bridging the theory-practice gap in professional education

Coherences• Biographical coherence: • Surveydata• Lifehistory interviews

• Programme coherence in-school and school and between school and internship:

• Surveydata• Observations• Interviews

• Transitional coherence. Future focused interviews, interventions.