1st Edition

From Vocational to Professional Education Educating for social welfare

Edited By Jens-Christian Smeby, Molly Sutphen Copyright 2015
    190 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    190 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    One of the most important routes to employment within the social welfare sector worldwide is higher education, which equips students not only with the knowledge for employment, but with the tools to use and build on this knowledge. During the last few decades there has been an academic drift in professional education, especially for many shorter professional programmes. Many of these shorter programmes have left the realm of vocational education to enter higher education. On the one hand, graduates are confronted by an increased demand for research and evidence-based knowledge, and on the other, they are criticised for lacking the knowledge and skills relevant for professional work.

    From Vocational to Professional Education presents new research into programmes suggesting how best to prepare students for professional work and addresses the challenges facing the education of professionals for social welfare. The book identifies and clarifies key problems, as well as outlining the political and historical context in which they are embedded. Chapters discuss theoretical and analytical ways to address these challenges and suggest recommendations for the further development of education for professional practice.

    Based on comprehensive longitudinal research data, the book will appeal to policy makers, leaders of higher education, and teachers and researchers involved in programmes qualifying students for professional work.

    1. Introduction Jens-Christian Smeby and Molly Sutphen  2. Academic drift in vocational education? Jens-Christian Smeby  3. Tensions between academic and vocational demands Gunnar Olofsson  4. Insights into teacher education from cross-field studies of professional preparation Judith Warren Little  5. Coherence: A longitudinal approach Kåre Heggen, Jens-Christian Smeby and André Vågan  6. Multiple bridges between theory and practice Per F. Laursen  7. Research-based education in undergraduate professional programmes Svein Kyvik, André Vågan, Tine Sophie Prøitz and Per Olaf Aamodt  8. Professionalism and evidence-based practice Palle Rasmussen  9. Using dialogical pedagogies to cope with fragmentation in nursing education Molly Sutphen and Kristin Heggen  10. The practice turn: Research-informed clinical teacher education in two countries Paul F. Conway and Elaine Munthe  11. Concluding remarks Molly Sutphen and Jens-Christian Smeby

    Biography

    Jens-Christian Smeby is Professor and Deputy Director at the Centre for the Study of Professions, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Norway.

    Molly Sutphen is Associate Director and Teaching and Learning Coordinator at the Center for Faculty Excellence, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.