‘Crack in the pavement’ : pedagogy as political and moral practice for educating culturally competent professionals

This paper explores the reception of Indigenous perspectives and knowledges in university curricula and educators’ social responsibility to demonstrate cultural competency through their teaching and learning practices. Drawing on tenets of critical race theory, Indigenous standpoint theory and critical pedagogies, this paper argues that the existence of Indigenous knowledges in Australian university curricula and pedagogy demands personal and political activism (Dei, 2008) as it requires educators to critique both personal and discipline-based knowledge systems. The paper interrogates the experiences of non-Indigenous educators involved in this contested epistemological space (Nakata, 2002), and concludes by arguing for a political and ethical commitment by educators towards embedding Indigenous knowledges towards educating culturally competent professionals.

Editorial : Global 21st century professionals : developing capability to work with Indigenous and other traditionally-oriented peoples

International agreement on the framework for protecting the rights of Indigenous populations within nation states has occurred alongside unprecedented levels of globalisation of other previously nation-based activities such as economic and social provision and planning. As the idea of the postcolonial democratic state emerges, this collection undertakes an international and comparative examination of the role of higher education in educating globally aware professionals who are able to work effectively and in cultural safety with Indigenous Peoples...

Attracting and retaining specialist teachers and non-teaching professionals in Queensland secondary schools : a report to the Queensland Department of Education and Training

This report provides the Queensland Department of Education and Training (DET) with independent evidence based data to enable the identification of barriers and enablers to effective attraction and retention of suitably qualified people to specialist teaching and non‐teaching roles in Queensland secondary schools. The scope of this report is to consider the strategic imperatives, trends, and drivers as they apply to the recruitment and retention of specialised teachers and non‐teaching professionals. The research was specifically designed to inform DET on innovative and novel strategies to recruit and retain staff within Education Queensland in areas specifically identified as at risk of experiencing shortages in the near future. Those areas considered to be at risk of experiencing shortages included: • Teaching principals • Specialist teachers in mathematics, science, industrial technology and design, and special education • Non‐teaching professional roles, such as speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and registered nurses providing services in schools to students with special needs.

Recruiting career-change professionals as teachers: the challenge of socialization into teaching

In many countries there is a shortage of quality teachers in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). One solution has been to encourage mid-career professionals in the area of STEM to become school teachers. The transition of mid-career professionals to science and mathematics teaching in schools is thus becoming a common phenomenon. The assumption exists that their experiences and enthusiasm for their subject matter will inspire more students to achieve greater outcomes in school and to pursue careers in the sciences. Although the experiences of beginning teachers have been extensively studied for over half a century, there has been little research on career-change teachers and the particular challenges that they face in becoming school teachers. These career-changers have constructed professional identities and are accustomed to working within a culture of collaboration and inquiry. In contrast school cultures are quite different and often teaching is a lonely solitary affair with little opportunity for collegial relationships aimed at knowledge building in the context of teaching. This research was a longitudinal study that followed 17 teachers from the commencement of teaching. Most of these teachers left professional careers to become teachers. Seven remained in teaching after three years.

Promoting resilience and posttraumatic growth in medical professionals

Across the lifespan traumatic experiences are common with more people experiencing such events than not. Within the context of being a medical professional trauma may result from a direct experience (e.g., in a person’s personal life) but may also occur vicariously. For example, a medical professional may be traumatized during the course of their employ as they come to the aid of a trauma survivor. Although there can be long term negative sequale for trauma survivors (e.g., PTSD, depression), the majority of people who experience trauma, vicariously or otherwise, are resilient to long term effects and some people grow or develop beyond their pre-event level of functioning. Therefore, in addition to interest in antecedents and correlates of pathology, research examining the predictors and correlates of resilience and growth has gained notable attention. In this chapter the fundamental assumptions of the salutogenic theory are discussed. Salutogenisis refers to the study of the origins of health and to that end has a goal to determine factors involved in promoting and maintaining health. The chapter then goes on to describe posttraumatic growth, a term used to denote positive post-trauma changes as well as resilience including discussion of the similarities and differences between these two constructs. Ways of promoting growth and resilience in medical professionals are then identified. The chapter concludes with discussion of ways in which individuals can enhance their potential for growth and also of ways in which the organization they work for can best facilitate and promote resilience and growth in its employees.

Educating for digital futures : what the learning strategies of digital media professionals can teach higher education

This article explores how universities might engage more effectively with the imperative to develop students’ 21st century skills for the information society, by examining learning challenges and professional learning strategies of successful digital media professionals. The findings of qualitative interviews with professionals from Australian games, online publishing, apps and software development companies reinforce an increasing body of literature that suggests that legacy university structures and pedagogical approaches are not conducive to learning for professional capability in the digital age. Study participants were ambivalent about the value of higher education to digital careers, in general preferring a range of situated online and face-to-face social learning strategies for professional currency. This article draws upon the learning preferences of the professionals in this study to present a model of 21st century learning, as linked with extant theory relating to informal, self-determined learning and communities of practice.

The educational pipeline for health care professionals : understanding the source of racial differences

The underrepresentation of blacks in the healthcare professions may have direct implications for the health outcomes of minority patients, underscoring the importance of understanding movement through the educational pipeline into professional healthcare careers by race. We jointly model individuals' postsecondary decisions including enrollment, college type, degree completion, and choosing a healthcare occupation requiring an advanced degree. We estimate the parameters of the model with maximum likelihood using data from the NLS-72. Our results emphasize the importance of pre-collegiate factors and of jointly examining the full chain of educational decisions in understanding the sources of racial disparities in professional healthcare occupations.

Shortages of rural mental health professionals

This study presents a conceptual model of the supply and demand for mental health professionals. It uses national data to profile differences in the supply of mental health professionals in different types of rural and urban areas. It contrasts the availability of general health and mental health professionals. It examines shortage areas identified in 2000 and their related community characteristics. Because of the absence of data on a national level to describe many types of mental health professionals state licensure data for one state were used to show the volume and distribution of these practitioners. To improve rural mental health service delivery it will be necessary to implement system changes to promote the increased availability, competency, and support of rural health professionals. Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

Indonesian LIS professionals’ understanding of Library 2.0 : a pilot study

The literature around Library 2.0 remains largely theoretical with few empirically studies and is particularly limited in developing countries such as Indonesia. This study addresses this gap and aims to provide information about the current state of knowledge on Indonesian LIS professionals’ understanding of Library 2.0. The researchers used qualitative and quantitative approaches for this study, asking thirteen closed- and open-ended questions in an online survey. The researchers used descriptive and in vivo coding to analyze the responses. Through their analysis, they identified three themes: technology, interactivity, and awareness of Library 2.0. Respondents demonstrated awareness of Library 2.0 and a basic understanding of the roles of interactivity and technology in libraries. However, overreliance on technology used in libraries to conceptualize Library 2.0 without an emphasis on its core characteristics and principles could lead to the misalignment of limited resources. The study results will potentially strengthen the research base for Library 2.0 practice, as well as inform LIS curriculum in Indonesia so as to develop practitioners who are able to adapt to users’ changing needs and expectations. It is expected that the preliminary data of this study could be used to design a much larger and more complex future research project in this area.

Evaluating the competitiveness of the tourism industry in Cambodia : self-assessment from professionals

The annual tourism growth rate in Cambodia is among the highest in the world; however, tourist industry impact on Cambodian's economy is quite low. The purpose of our study is to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the Cambodian tourism market so that a framework can be established to help the country's policy-makers formulate strategies to use its resources effectively to create sustainable tourism competitiveness. This study used the perspective of tourism experts in the industry and Ministry of Tourism in Cambodia, and academia in the tourism field to evaluate Cambodian tourism competitiveness relative to its major competitors in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) based on nine categories: endowed resources, created resources, supporting factors, destination management, situational conditions, demand condition, technology, openness and market performance indicators benchmarked from previous research. The results showed that Cambodia has a lot of endowed resources, but lacks supporting resources and factors to achieve tourism competitiveness.

Resistances, facilitators and influences on professionals' knowledge sharing behaviour : a case study

The centrality of knowledge sharing to organisations' sustainability has been established. This case study illustrates the influences on individual knowledge sharing decision-making and behaviour among professionals and paraprofessionals - specifically civil engineers and design drafters - in a large public sector organisation that provides transportation infrastructure. The case examines the ways in which overlapping sets of values and behavioural drivers affect knowledge sharing orientation and practices in a collective of experts and novices working in an environment that is largely project-based. The alignment among sector, profession and organisation values provides a supportive environment for knowledge sharing, however individual behaviour is found to be most strongly influenced by the presence and quality of relational capital.

What works and why? Early childhood professionals' perspectives on effective early childhood education and care services for Indigenous families

Investment in early childhood education and care (ECEC) programs is a cornerstone policy of the Australian Government directed toward increasing the educational opportunities and life chances made available to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) children. Yet, ECEC programs are not always effective in supporting sustained attendance of Indigenous families. A site-case analysis of Mount Isa, Queensland was conducted to identify program features that engage and support attendance of Indigenous families. This first study, reports the perspectives of early childhood professionals from across the entire range of group-based licensed (kindergarten and long day care) and non-licensed (playgroups, parent-child education) programs (n=19). Early childhood professionals reported that Indigenous families preferred non-licensed over licensed programs. Reasons suggested for this choice were that non-licensed services provided integration with family supports, were responsive to family circumstance and had a stronger focus on relationship building. Implications for policy and service provision are discussed.