Relational restorative justice pedagogy in educator professional development

What would a professional development experience rooted in the philosophy, principles, and practices of restorative justice look and feel like? This article describes how such a professional development project was designed to implement restorative justice principles and practices into schools in a proactive, relational and sustainable manner by using a comprehensive dialogic, democratic peacebuilding pedagogy. The initiative embodied a broad, transformative approach to restorative justice, grounded in participating educators’ identifying, articulating and applying personal core values. This professional development focused on diverse educators, their relationships, and conceptual understandings, rather than on narrow techniques for enhancing student understanding or changing student behaviour. Its core practice involved facilitated critical reflexive dialogue in a circle, organized around recognizing the impact of participants’ interactions on others, using three central, recurring questions: Am I honouring? Am I measuring? What message am I sending? Situated in the context of relational theory (Llewellyn, 2012), this restorative professional development approach addresses some of the challenges in implementing and sustaining transformative citizenship and peacebuilding pedagogies in schools. A pedagogical portrait of the rationale, design, and facilitation experience illustrates the theories, practices, and insights of the initiative, called Relationships First: Implementing Restorative Justice From the Ground Up.

Self-assessment of clinical nurse mentors as dimensions of professional development and the capability of developing ethical values among nursing students : A correlational research study

Date of Acceptance: 08/04/2015 The paper presents, in part, the results of a broader non-profit development project entitled “Advance level of knowledge for quality in clinical mentorship — professional ethics and continuously professional development”. The project was financed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia (contract no. 3211-11-000263, the number of project OP RCV_VS-11-14). The members of the development group of the project were: Brigita Skela-Savič (leader), Karmen Romih, Sanela Pivač, Katja Skinder Savić and Andreja Prebil. The research report for the entire project is available on the online bibliographic database COBIB.si, at the Faculty of Health Care Jesenice and at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia.

Self-assessment of clinical nurse mentors as dimensions of professional development and the capability of developing ethical values among nursing students : A correlational research study

Date of Acceptance: 08/04/2015 The paper presents, in part, the results of a broader non-profit development project entitled “Advance level of knowledge for quality in clinical mentorship — professional ethics and continuously professional development”. The project was financed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia (contract no. 3211-11-000263, the number of project OP RCV_VS-11-14). The members of the development group of the project were: Brigita Skela-Savič (leader), Karmen Romih, Sanela Pivač, Katja Skinder Savić and Andreja Prebil. The research report for the entire project is available on the online bibliographic database COBIB.si, at the Faculty of Health Care Jesenice and at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia.

Self-assessment of clinical nurse mentors as dimensions of professional development and the capability of developing ethical values among nursing students : A correlational research study

Date of Acceptance: 08/04/2015 The paper presents, in part, the results of a broader non-profit development project entitled “Advance level of knowledge for quality in clinical mentorship — professional ethics and continuously professional development”. The project was financed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia (contract no. 3211-11-000263, the number of project OP RCV_VS-11-14). The members of the development group of the project were: Brigita Skela-Savič (leader), Karmen Romih, Sanela Pivač, Katja Skinder Savić and Andreja Prebil. The research report for the entire project is available on the online bibliographic database COBIB.si, at the Faculty of Health Care Jesenice and at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia.

Professional development programs in health promotion : tools and processes to favor new practices

Developing innovative interventions that are in sync with a health promotion paradigm often represents a challenge for professionals working in local public health organizations. Thus, it is critical to have both professional development programs that favor new practices and tools to examine these practices. In this case study, we analyze the health promotion approach used in a pilot intervention addressing children’s vulnerability that was developed and carried out by participants enrolled in a public health professional development program. More specifically, we use a modified version of Guichard and Ridde’s (Une grille d’analyse des actions pour lutter contre les inégalités sociales de santé. In Potvin, L., Moquet, M.-J. and Jones, C. M. (eds), Réduire les Inégalités Sociales en Santé. INPES, Saint-Denis Cedex, pp. 297– 312, 2010) analytical grid to assess deductively the program participants’ use of health promotion practices in the analysis and planning, implementation, evaluation, sustainability and empowerment phases of the pilot intervention. We also seek evidence of practices involving (empowerment, participation, equity, holism, an ecological approach, intersectorality and sustainability) in the intervention. The results are mixed: our findings reveal evidence of the application of several dimensions of health promotion (equity, holism, an ecological approach, intersectorality and sustainability), but also a lack of integration of two key dimensions; that is, empowerment and participation, during various phases of the pilot intervention. These results show that the professional development program is associated with the adoption of a pilot intervention integrating multiple but not all dimensions of health promotion. We make recommendations to facilitate a more complete integration. This research also shows that the Guichard and Ridde grid proves to be a thorough instrument to document the practices of participants.

A Study of the Relational Component in an Academic Advisor Professional Development Program

The purpose of the study was to investigate the significance of the relational component of academic advisor training and development in the learning opportunities of the professional development program and the advisors’ evaluation score at Florida International University.

THE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF MOTIVATION FOR AND THE PRINCIPAL’S INFLUENCE ON THEIR ENGAGEMENT IN SELF-DIRECTED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

All teachers participate in self-directed professional development (PD) at some point in their careers; however, the degree to which this participation takes place varies greatly from teacher to teacher and is influenced by the leadership of the school principal. The motivation behind why teachers choose to engage in PD is an important construct. Therefore, there is a need for better understanding of the leader’s role with respect to how and why teachers engage in self-directed professional development. The purpose of the research was to explore the elementary teachers’ motivation for and the school principal’s influence on their engagement in self-directed professional development. Three research questions guided this study: 1. What motivates teachers to engage in self-directed professional development? 2. What are the conditions necessary for promoting teachers’ engagement in self-directed professional development? 3. What are teachers’ perceptions of the principal’s role in supporting, fostering, encouraging, and sustaining the professional development of teachers? A qualitative research approach was adopted for this study. Six elementary teachers from one south-eastern Ontario school board, consisting of three novice and three more experienced teachers, provided their responses to a consistent complement of 14 questions. Their responses were documented via individual interviews, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed. The findings suggested that, coupled with the individual motivating influences, the culture of the school was found to be a conditional dynamic that either stimulated or dissuaded participation in self-directed PD. The school principal provided an additional catalyst or deterrence via relational disposition. When teachers felt their needs for competency, relatedness, and autonomy were satisfied, the conditions necessary to motivate teachers to engage in PD were fulfilled. A principal who personified the tenets of transformational leadership served to facilitate teachers’ inclinations to take on PD. A leadership style that was collaborative and trustful and allowed for personal autonomy was a dominant foundational piece that was critical for participant participation in self-directed PD. Finally, the principals were found to positively impact school climate by partaking in PD alongside teachers and ensuring there was a shared vision of the school so that teachers could tailor PD to parallel school interests.

Brazilian Social Segurity and Social Work: reflections on the Continuous Cash Benefit Programme

Guaranteed under the Federal Constitution of 1988, Brazilian social security covers rights relating to health, social welfare and social care. The Continuous Cash Benefit Programme (BPC) was approved as part of social care policy and is regulated under the Social Care Act (Ley Orgánica de Asistencia Social) of 1993. This benefit guarantees a minimum monthly income for persons with disabilities and for older adults. Certain requirements must be satisfied in order to obtain the assistance: medical and social assessment of disabled persons, a minimum age of 65 years for older adults, and, in both cases, the value of per capita income for the nuclear family in question, which must be lower than a quarter of the minimum wage. Regulation of the BPC has incorporated advances and setbacks in terms of legislation and implementation. In this framework, this article presents a theoretical reflection, an analysis of the legislation on the matter, and some reflections on the challenges that it poses for social workers.

Mediation and the Social Work profession: particularly in the community context

In 2008, the European Union published its Directive on mediation in civil and commercial matters, offering general regulation of this conflict resolution system, its principles, and its objectives. Social workers have for some time defended their role as mediators, but this reality has changed and mediation appears to have taken shape as an independent profession due to existing regulation, its introduction to universities and the implementation of training courses. This article analyses the differences between the two professions: mediator and social worker. It also considers the mediation that is carried out in the community context. Community mediation is a perfect tool for achieving a changed understanding of public social services, seeking to encourage citizens to participate in and take responsibility for community life and thereby to become active citizens as envisaged by the 2012 Global Agenda for Social Work. However, mediation in this context has certain peculiarities, and at times confusion may arise between the figures of social worker and mediator.

Flexibele Leerroutes voor Propedeusestudenten: Grounded Theory Onderzoek naar het Identificeren van Studentkenmerken in de Matching, ten behoeve van een Vraaggerichte, Gepersonaliseerde Leerroute in de Propedeuse Social Work

De Groot, D. (2016). Flexibele Leerroutes voor Propedeusestudenten: Grounded Theory Onderzoek naar het Identificeren van Studentkenmerken in de Matching, ten behoeve van een Vraaggerichte, Gepersonaliseerde Leerroute in de Propedeuse Social Work. Juli, 26, 2016, Heerlen, Nederland: Open Universiteit.

Professional development of teacher-educators towards transformative learning

This study explores the specific characteristics of teacher-educator professional development interventions that enhance their transformative learning towards stimulating the inquiry-based attitude of students. An educational design research method was followed. Firstly, in partnership with five experienced educators, a professional development programme was designed, tested and redesigned. Secondly, a qualitative multiple case study was conducted to examine the active ingredients of the designed interventions with regard to educators changes in beliefs and behaviour. The study was carried out in four different educational settings in which 20 educators participated during nine months. Data sources included videos, questionnaires, interviews and written personal theories of practice. The analyses indicated that aligned self-study interventions on a personal, peer and group level guided by a trained facilitator supported the intended leaning.

Making meaningful connections: Using insights from social pedagogy in statutory child and family social work practice

Reports into incidents of child death and serious injury have highlighted consistently concern about the capacity of social workers to communicate skilfully with children. Drawing on data collected as part of an Economic and Social Research Council funded UK-wide research project exploring social workers’ communicative practices with children, this paper explores how approaches informed by social pedagogy can assist social workers in connecting and communicating children. The qualitative research included data generated from 82 observations of social workers’ everyday encounters with children. Social pedagogical concepts of ‘haltung’ (attitude), ‘head, heart and hands’ and ‘the common third’ are outlined as potentially helpful approaches for facilitating the intimacies of inter-personal connections and enhancing social workers’ capacity to establish and sustain meaningful communication and relationships with children in the face of austere social, political and organisational contexts.