Search Results for
"human"

Background: Due to the increasing complexity of medical education and practice, the preparation of healthcare professionals for leadership roles and responsibilities has become increasingly important. To date, the literature on faculty development designed to promote leadership in medical education has not been reviewed in a systematic fashion. Aim: The objective of this review is to synthesize the existing evidence that addresses the following question: 'What are the effects of faculty development interventions designed to improve leadership abilities on the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of faculty members in medicine and on the institutions in which they work?' Methods: Search strategy: The search, which covered the period 1980-2009, included six databases (Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, ERIC, and ABI/Inform) and used the following keywords: faculty development; in-service training; doctor; medic; physician; faculty; leadership; management; administration; executive; and change agent. Hand searches were also conducted, and expert recommendations were solicited. Inclusion and exclusion criteria: Articles with a focus on faculty development to improve leadership, targeting basic science and clinical faculty members, were reviewed. All study designs that included outcome data beyond participant satisfaction were examined. From an initial 687 unique records, 48 articles met the review criteria in three broad categories: (1) reports in which leadership was the primary focus of the intervention; (2) reports in which leadership was a component of a broader focus on educational development; and (3) reports in which leadership was a component of a broader focus on academic career development. Data extraction: Data were extracted by three coders using the standardized Best Evidence Medical Education coding sheet adapted for our use. One reviewer coded all of the articles, and two reviewers each coded half of the dataset. Coding differences were resolved through discussion. Data synthesis: Data were synthesized using Kirkpatrick's four levels of educational outcomes. Findings were grouped by intervention type and level of outcome. Results: Forty-eight articles described 41 studies of 35 different interventions. The majority of the interventions targeted clinical faculty members and included workshops, short courses, fellowships, and other longitudinal programs. The majority of studies were quantitative in nature, though five studies used a qualitative design, and 12 studies used mixed methods. All quantitative studies were quasi-experimental and most employed a single group design; only two studies had a comparison group. Qualitative study designs were typically not specified. The majority of evaluation data, primarily collected post-intervention, consisted of participants' responses to questionnaires and interviews. © 2012 Informa UK Ltd.

Rapid expansion in scientific knowledge, changes in medical practice, and greater demands from patients and society necessitate reform of the medical curriculum. In recognition of this, medical educators across the world have recommended the adoption of competence-based education. This is intended to increase the rigour and relevance of the curriculum, move students beyond a focus on the memorisation and regurgitation of scientific facts, and better enable them to understand scientific principles and apply them to the practice of medicine. Experience from 40 years' use of competence-based curricula across the world suggests that the uncritical application of this approach to the medical curriculum may not achieve its intended aims. There are valuable lessons to be learnt from the history of competence-based education. By taking on board these lessons, confronting the pitfalls of this approach, and devising new and creative solutions to the problems inherent in this methodology, medical educators can better achieve their aim of providing a strong foundation for the practice of medicine in the twenty-first century. It is only through such a strategy-rather than the uncritical adoption of this educational approach-that we will have real movement and progress both in competence-based education in general, and in its applications to medicine in particular. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Objective: This study characterized teachers' work at a vocational training (VT) center and the conditions under which the activity is learned. Methods: We interviewed administrators and 12 teachers (4 males, 8 females) representing three study programs, selected as representative (age, seniority, and employment status). Results: What emerged was a portrait of an evolving profession within an organization that was highly structured in terms of the assignment of tasks and schedules, but unstructured in terms of support for job adaptation and job retention. The major challenges for the teachers were to integrate their trade-specific knowledge with the new skills required to teach the trade, and to find time for class preparation. The lack of resources and support caused dissatisfaction, stress, problematic work-study-family balance, and health problems, particularly among new teachers. Discussion: A passion for teaching seems to compensate partly for these difficulties but it is uncertain for how long. Further research is necessary in order to understand the coping strategies employed by vocational training teachers. Conclusion: The findings of this study offer guidance for the development of resources that can assist with learning and performing the work of a VT teacher, and for a better recognition of the work of VT teachers. © 2012 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a work-based module and in-service educational programme in perineal repair for midwives on their perceived level of competency undertaking this skill in clinical practice. Design: a quasi-experimental pre-post intervention case study combining a non-equivalent comparison group and evaluation action research. Setting: six NHS consultant/midwifery led Trusts in South East England between December 2002 and 2006. Participants: 145 midwives from six NHS Trusts. Interventions: a post-registration work-based module in perineal repair for midwives and alternative two hour in-service perineal repair workshops across five intervention Trusts. Main outcome measures: midwives' perceived level of competency and confidence undertaking perineal repair. Main findings: significantly greater numbers of midwives were able to practice perineal repair at higher levels of competency following an educational intervention in five intervention Trusts (P<.006). There was a non-significant difference in the comparison Trust (P<.535). In addition, an educational programme for midwives increased the numbers of senior student midwives who were able to participate in perineal repair confidently under the direct supervision of their mentor when they perceived that their mentor was confident and competent undertaking the procedure. Key conclusions: an educational programme in perineal repair can make a significant difference to the midwives' perceived level of competency and confidence when assessing and managing perineal trauma and repair. Implications for practice: competency and expertise are complex phenomena and the data has provided greater insight into the complex nature of workplace learning alongside the multiple factors influencing clinical decision-making such as staff shortage, time constraints and inadequate numbers of midwives who are able to instruct, supervise and assess competency in perineal repair. Funding for training is fundamental for the sustainability of future practice development. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

For self-regulated learning to be effective, students need to be able to accurately assess their own performance on a learning task and use this assessment for the selection of a new learning task. Evidence suggests, however, that students have difficulties with accurate self-assessment and task selection, which may explain the poor learning outcomes often found with self-regulated learning. In experiment 1, the hypothesis was investigated and confirmed that observing a human model engaging in self-assessment, task selection, or both could be effective for secondary education students' (N = 80) acquisition of self-assessment and task-selection skills. Experiment 2 investigated and confirmed the hypothesis that secondary education students' (N = 90) acquisition of self-assessment and task-selection skills, either through examples or through practice, would enhance the effectiveness of self-regulated learning. It can be concluded that self-assessment and task-selection skills indeed play an important role in self-regulated learning and that training these skills can significantly increase the amount of knowledge students can gain from self-regulated learning in which they choose their own learning tasks. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Purpose - This paper seeks to explore the difficult territory of intersectionality as it relates to inequality and disadvantage in the labour market of the arts and cultural sector. It aims to first examine the way Acker's concept of inequality regimes is located in the extant literature. Then, it aims to study the dynamics of intersectionality in the arts and cultural sector, which offers an ideal setting with interesting and counter-intuitive outcomes of intersectionality. Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws on a qualitative study which generated interviews with students, employers and higher education institutions which are involved in industrial placements (internships) in the arts and cultural sector in Britain. Findings - In line with Acker, the paper also disputes a-contextual and cumulative formulations of intersecting inequalities that rely on multiplying the unequal outcomes on the basis of traditional categories of disadvantage. Instead, it argues that multiplicity of identities and forms of disadvantage introduce complexity and contextual depth into the analysis of inequality if we are to understand interplay between different forms of disadvantage. In addition, the paper maintains that intersectionality produces surprising outcomes which vary across industrial contexts, in particular across different sectors of employment. It uses the case of work undergraduate and postgraduate placement practices in the arts and cultural sector, in order to demonstrate the unexpected nature of intersectionality in producing disadvantage. Research limitations/implications - The study draws on a selection of students, employers and higher education staff from London. A larger selection of institutions outside London could reveal differences between London and other cities and regions in Britain. Practical implications - Intersectionality is an important concern for diversity and human resources management professionals. This paper provides an assessment of it in an unusual sectoral context. Social implications - There is need to develop an emic understanding of intersectionality in each sector. Originality/value - In the literature, intersectionality is problematised at workplace and individual levels. This paper's view of intersectionality is original in the sense that it explores how intersectionality operates at a sectoral level. In doing so, it demonstrates that salience of a strand of inequality in terms of producing intersectional disadvantage depends on the context. Copyright © 2012 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.

[No abstract available]

Using worker and firm data from Dutch manufacturing, our paper investigates how product market competition and labor market imperfections affect firm-sponsored training. We find that product market competition does not affect the firms' training expenditures. Increasing competition, for instance due to increased international integration and globalization, is not a threat to investments in on-the-job training. Instead, labor market imperfections influence firm-sponsored training. An increase in labor market flexibility significantly reduces the incentives of firms to invest in training. The magnitude of this effect is nevertheless small. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Objective: This paper describes and compares exemplary work-based education (WBE) programs in Ontario Canada designed to meet the needs of two groups of vulnerable youth - at-risk youth and youth with severe disabilities. Participants: Two focus group interviews were held, one with professionals from exemplary programs designed to meet the needs of at-risk youth and one with professionals from exemplary programs for youth with severe disabilities. Method: Standard qualitative analyses were conducted on each focus group transcript to generate themes which were subsequently grouped into larger patterns. Then cross-case analyses identified consistencies and unique features within the two types of WBE programs. Results: Two major patterns that characterize the WBE programs emerged from the analyses: the first pattern described the programmatic approaches to WBE appropriate for each type of type of student (which included themes such as the need for an alternative learning environment for at-risk youth), and the second pattern highlighted the rationale for each kind of program (which included themes like ensuring equity for youth with severe disabilities). Conclusions: The findings suggest that schools should continue to provide distinct WBE programs for each of these groups of vulnerable youth - at-risk youth and youth with severe disabilities. © 2011 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved.

Background: Dentistry in the UK has a number of new graduate-entry programmes. The aim of the study was to explore the motivation, career expectations and experiences of final year students who chose to pursue a dental career through the graduate entry programme route in one institution; and to explore if, and how, their intended career expectations and aspirations were informed by this choice.Method: In-depth interviews of 14 graduate entry students in their final year of study. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework analysis.Results: There were three categories of factors influencing students' choice to study dentistry through graduate entry: 'push', 'pull' and 'mediating'. Mediating factors related to students' personal concerns and circumstances, whereas push and pull factors related to features of their previous and future careers and wider social factors. Routes to Graduate Entry study comprised: 'early career changers', 'established career changers' and those pursuing 'routes to specialisation'. These routes also influenced the students' practice of dentistry, as students integrated skills in their dental studies, and encountered new challenges.Factors which students believed would influence their future careers included: vocational training; opportunities for specialisation or developing special interests and policy-related issues, together with wider professional and social concerns.The graduate entry programme was considered 'hard work' but a quick route to a professional career which had much to offer. Students' felt more could have been made of their pre-dental studies and/or experience during the programme. Factors perceived as influencing students' future contribution to dentistry included personal and social influences. Overall there was strong support for the values of the NHS and 'giving back' to the system in their future career.Conclusion: Graduate entry students appear to be motivated to enter dentistry by a range of factors which suit their preferences and circumstances. They generally embrace the programme enthusiastically and seek to serve within healthcare, largely in the public sector. These students, who carry wider responsibilities, bring knowledge, skills and experience to dentistry which could be harnessed further during the programme. The findings suggest that graduate entry students, facilitated by varied career options, will contribute to an engaged workforce. © 2011 Newton et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.