From personal reflection to social positioning: the development of a transformational model of a professional education in midwifery

A transformational model of professional identity formation, anchored and globalized in workplace conversations, is advanced. Whilst the need to theorize the aims and methods of clinical education has been served by the techno-rational platform of 'reflective practice', this platform does not provide an adequate psychological tool to explore the dynamics of social episodes in professional learning and this led us to positioning theory. Positioning theory is one such appropriate tool in which individuals metaphorically locate themselves within discursive action in everyday conversations to do with personal positioning, institutional practices and societal rhetoric. This paper develops the case for researching social episodes in clinical education through professional conversations where midwifery students, in practice settings, are encouraged to account for their moment-by-moment interactions with their preceptors/midwives and university mentors. It is our belief that the reflection elaborated by positioning theory should be considered as the new epistemology for professional education where professional conversations are key to transformative learning processes for persons and institutions.

Guided reflection: transcending a routine approach in the management of sexually transmissible infections

This paper describes a distinctive approach to the sexually transmissible infections (STI) clinical consultation: 'the guided reflection approach'. The authors coined this term and identified the guided reflection approach through analysis of 22 in-depth interviews with practitioners who provide care for people with STI, and 34 people who had attended a healthcare facility in Australia for screening or treatment of an STI. A grounded theory method was used to collect and analyse this information. The data revealed when the STI consultation is conducted using the principles characterized by the guided reflection approach creates contexts for sexual empowerment that have the potential to effectively assist people to gain autonomy for safe sex. Routinely, most of the practitioners in this study were shown to direct the STI consultation towards risk behaviours and practices and prevention of transmission, with minimal intervention. However, this study shows that if clinical interaction is to make a difference to the patient's autonomy for sexual behaviour, two changes will be required. First, practitioners need to adopt the goal of assisting patients to attain levels of autonomy, and second, practitioners require education to assist them to develop the interactive skills needed to engage patients in dialogue and reflection about sexual behaviour.

Critical reflection in social work: a response to globalisation?

This article presents a reflective theoretical deconstruction of my practice with disempowered human service workers. Specifically, it presents a case study of how critical reflection was fostered amongst a group of practitioners in Geelong, a regional Victorian town in Australia. This models how a critical postmodern analysis provided a framework for overcoming entrenched power dynamics and structural barriers in a particular context and at a particular point in time. It describes and analyses the content of this work in terms of its significance and implications for responding to the impact of globalisation on this group, which was undermining the effectiveness of their social work practice.

Capturing the ephemeral : reflection-in-action as research

This paper considers two different methodological approaches to 'capturing' and analysing reflection-in-action in process drama teaching. Reflection-in-action, the 'thinking on your feet' that drama teachers constantly do, is ephemeral and difficult to record. In the first project discussed here, a teacher researcher study, examines the problem of representing the reflection-in-action, working around the central question of 'How can I as a researcher describe and document my reflection-in- action when working as a teacher in process drama?' The second project, an interview-based research project', developed some of the findings of the first study through a series of interviews with drama practitioners. This paper considers these methodological approaches in terms of the possibilities they provide, the limitations for the study of reflection-in- action in process drama and some possible applications of the approaches investigated for future drama research

Designing educational tasks for success in industry: a reflection on the evolution of business communication studies in tertiary education

This paper is the result of a "Rip Van Winkle" experience I had concerning the teaching of Business Communication. The paper focuses on the remarkable expansion in the curriculum of the traditional "Business Communication" or "Business Writing" course offered by many tertiary institutions around the world. Based on 25 years of personal observation and experience in a number of educational settings, the paper will trace the increasing sophistication and complexity of the study of business communication from one that covered little more than lessons in the design of hardcopy memos, letters, and reports to one that now covers a broad spectrum of topics such as "emotional intelligence," "intercultural communication," "effective public speaking," as well as the effects of purpose and audience on the design of a wide variety of business communications.

An example of an effective task that involves a number of on the job activities is provided in the form of a ready to use assignment that is applicable in a number of contexts.

Reflection of eGovernance on websites of India and Russia

Governments of the developing countries have been exploring new ways to allow participation of citizens in the governance, enabled by the Internet revolution. In this paper, we have explored, through a preliminary analysis of national government web sites, the attempts of two developing nations -- India and Russia, to establish digital governance. We have used the KPMG E-Commerce maturity model, WiIIcoks eBusiness evolution model and the WebQual site analysis tool as a theoretical framework to analyse the website performance and content, as a social construct that reflects government intentions, attitudes, digital governance directions and policies.

Engaging practitioners with critical reflection: issues and dilemmas

This paper presents a reflective account of my teaching practice with health practitioners who work as school nurses in the secondary education system in regional Victoria, Australia. It highlights some of the issues and dilemmas that emerged during my experiences, as a social work educator, facilitating workshops about critically reflective learning as a cross-disciplinary  enterprise. Using critical reflection, this paper also raises questions  regarding how we might respond to some of the challenges to improve  future approaches to teaching critical reflection.

Assessment frameworks : a critical reflection

Increasing widespread requirements that assessment practice conforms to generic guidelines contained in assessment frameworks has been contentious and critiques offered on individual frameworks have been assumed to apply to the concept of assessment frameworks more generally. After comparing four assessment frameworks currently being used in the UK, this paper argues that although some generalizations can be made, for the most part, they are highly individual documents in terms of range and depth of content, the extent to which they are evidenced and the quality of that evidence and implicit expectations as to the skill bases of assessors. Furthermore, the introduction of assessment frameworks is not in itself a panacea to ensure good practice. Even with the most comprehensive frameworks, social workers will still need comprehensive training in assessment and supervision of their practice.

Video reflection and the formation of teacher identity in a team of pre-service and experienced teachers

This paper discusses a project in which a team of pre-service and experienced teachers, following a teaching development model devised by the authors, reflected on videos of the pre-service teachers teaching literacy. Using a discourse analytic approach, the paper focuses on how teachers' joint reflection contributes to student teacher identity formation. Analysis suggests that reflection, at least in the talk of this team, is a language practice with a distinctive generic structure. Using this structure, participants jointly construct professional teacher identities for themselves and others through the key devices of representation, categorization, evaluation, individualization and inclusion.