Perspectives on knowledge creating inquiry in higher education

Higher education is faced with the challenge of strengthening students competencies for the constantly evolving technology-mediated practices of knowledge work. The knowledge creation approach to learning (Paavola et al., 2004; Hakkarainen et al., 2004) provides a theoretical tool to address learning and teaching organized around complex problems and the development of shared knowledge objects, such as reports, products, and new practices. As in professional work practices, it appears necessary to design sufficient open-endedness and complexity for students teamwork in order to generate unpredictable and both practically and epistemologically challenging situations. The studies of the thesis examine what kinds of practices are observed when student teams engage in knowledge creating inquiry processes, how the students themselves perceive the process, and how to facilitate inquiry with technology-mediation, tutoring, and pedagogical models. Overall, 20 student teams collaboration processes and productions were investigated in detail. This collaboration took place in teams or small groups of 3-6 students from multiple domain backgrounds. Two pedagogical models were employed to provide heuristic guidance for the inquiry processes: the progressive inquiry model and the distributed project model. Design-based research methodology was employed in combination with case study as the research design. Database materials from the courses virtual learning environment constituted the main body of data, with additional data from students self-reflections and student and teacher interviews. Study I examined the role of technology mediation and tutoring in directing students knowledge production in a progressive inquiry process. The research investigated how the scale of scaffolding related to the nature of knowledge produced and the deepening of the question explanation process. In Study II, the metaskills of knowledge-creating inquiry were explored as a challenge for higher education: metaskills refers to the individual, collective, and object-centered aspects of monitoring collaborative inquiry. Study III examined the design of two courses and how the elaboration of shared objects unfolded based on the two pedagogical models. Study IV examined how the arranged concept-development project for external customers promoted practices of distributed, partially virtual, project work, and how the students coped with the knowledge creation challenge. Overall, important indicators of knowledge creating inquiry were the following: new versions of knowledge objects and artifacts demonstrated a deepening inquiry process; and the various productions were co-created through iterations of negotiations, drafting, and versioning by the team members. Students faced challenges of establishing a collective commitment, devising practices to co-author and advance their reports, dealing with confusion, and managing culturally diverse teams. The progressive inquiry model, together with tutoring and technology, facilitated asking questions, generating explanations, and refocusing lines of inquiry. The involvement of the customers was observed to provide a strong motivation for the teams. On the evidence, providing team-specific guidance, exposing students to models of scientific argumentation and expert work practices, and furnishing templates for the intended products appear to be fruitful ways to enhance inquiry processes. At the institutional level, educators do well to explore ways of developing collaboration with external customers, public organizations or companies, and between educational units in order to enhance educational practices of knowledge creating inquiry.

Working with Identities Promoting Student Teachers Professional Development

The starting point of the study was that good teaching requires a teacher to be aware of the sources of his or her pedagogical decisions; that is, personal values, beliefs and understandings. From this perspective, a teacher s professional development refers to a process of extending one s self-knowledge. The aim of this study was to promote student teachers' professional development with the help of identity work. Identity work refers to reflecting on both personal and professional experiences. Identity work consists of student teachers self-reflection on their life experiences (self-identity) and video diary-based reflection on their classroom practice (professional identity). The research questions of the study were 1) how is identity work manifested by the participants? and 2) what is the potential of identity work in promoting student teachers professional development? The research data was collected from four student teachers in the academic year 2007-2008; the research group had 24 meetings during the research process. Student teachers take part in a multimode teacher education programme, where students work as ordinary teachers in schools during their university studies. The data collection was conducted by using two methods: participants narratives based on autobiographical writings and video diaries based on participants lessons. Narrative research data was analysed by employing qualitative methods and strategies as they were needed in the research. The research results revealed four different ways of working with identities, each of them revealing different aspects of and approaches to identity work. The results also showed that identity work has the potential to promote professional development. As the research progressed, there were visible changes in the participants reflection. However, despite encouraging results, some issues should be critically questioned. Although reflection sounds attractive and fruitful as a tool for promoting professional development, there are also difficulties and obstacles. On the basis of the results, a proposal for promoting student teachers professional development is offered. Keywords: Teacher identity, identity work, reflection, teacher professional development

Value Creation in Professional Service Processes. Propositions for Understanding Financial Value from a Customer Perspective

Many service management studies have suggested that service providers benefit from having long-term relationships with customers, but the argument from a customer perspective has been vague. However, especially in the business-to-business context, an analysis of financial value creation seems appropriate also from a customer perspective. Hence, the aim of this study is to develop a framework for understanding monetary value creation in professional service assignments from a customer perspective. The contribution of this study is an improved insight and framework for understanding financial value creation from a customer perspective in a professional service delivery process. The sources for monetary differences between transactional and long-term service providers are identified and quantified in case settings. This study contributes to the existing literature in service and relationship management by extending the customer’s viewpoint from perceived value to measurable monetary value. The contribution to the professional services lies in the process focus as opposed to the outcome focus, which is often accentuated in the existing professional services literature. The findings from the qualitative data suggest that a customer company may benefit from having an improved understanding of the service delivery (service assignment) process and the factors affecting the monetary value creation during the process. It is suggested that long-term relationships with service providers create financial value in the case settings in the short term. The findings also indicate that by using the improved understanding, a customer company can make more informed decisions when selecting a service provider for a specific assignment. Mirel Leino is associated with CERS, the Center for Relationship Marketing and Service Management at the Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration

Teachers' attitudes to and beliefs about web-based Collaborative Learning Environments in the context of an international implementation

"Fifty-six teachers, from four European countries, were interviewed to ascertain their attitudes to and beliefs about the Collaborative Learning Environments (CLEs) which were designed under the Innovative Technologies for Collaborative Learning Project. Their responses were analysed using categories based on a model from cultural-historical activity theory [Engestrom, Y. (1987). Learning by expanding.- An activity-theoretical approach to developmental research. Helsinki: Orienta-Konsultit; Engestrom, Y., Engestrom, R., & Suntio, A. (2002). Can a school community learn to master its own future? An activity-theoretical study of expansive learning among middle school teachers. In G. Wells & G. Claxton (Eds.), Learning for life in the 21st century. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers]. The teachers were positive about CLEs and their possible role in initiating pedagogical innovation and enhancing personal professional development. This positive perception held across cultures and national boundaries. Teachers were aware of the fact that demanding planning was needed for successful implementations of CLEs. However, the specific strategies through which the teachers can guide students' inquiries in CLEs and the assessment of new competencies that may characterize student performance in the CLEs were poorly represented in the teachers' reflections on CLEs. The attitudes and beliefs of the teachers from separate countries had many similarities, but there were also some clear differences, which are discussed in the article. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved."

Professional Driving : An Emphasis on Organizational Safety Climate

According to the literature and statistical figures, professional drivers constitute a high-risk group in traffic and should be investigated in connection with the factors related to safe driving. However, safety-related behaviours and outcomes among professional drivers have attracted very little attention from safety researchers. In addition, comparing different professional and non-professional driver groups in terms of critical on-the-road characteristics and outcomes has been indicated in the literature as being necessary for a more comprehensive understanding of driver groups and the nature of driving itself. The aim of the present study was to investigate professional driving from a safety climate stand point in relation to predominant driving-related factors and by considering the differences between driver groups. Hence, four Sub-studies were conducted according to a framework emphasizing the relationships between safety climate, driver groups, driver stress, human factors (i.e., driver behaviour and performance) and accidents. Demographic information, as well as data for driver behaviour, performance, and driver stress was collected by questionnaire. The data was analysed using factor analysis, analysis of covariance as well as hierarchical and logistic regression analysis. The results revealed multi-dimensional factor structures for the safety climate measures. Considering the relationships between variables, differences were evidenced regarding on-the-road stress reactions, risky driver behaviours and penalties, between the various professional and non-professional driver groups. Driver stress was found to be related to accidents. The results also indicated that the safety climate has positive relationships with both driver behaviour and performance, and as well as involvement in accidents. The present study has a number of critical implications resulting from the fact that the way in which the effects of safety climate on professional driving were investigated, as well as the differences between professional and non-professional driver groups, was unique. Additionally, for the first time, a safety climate scale was developed specifically for professional drivers. According to the results of the study and to previous literature, a tentative model was proposed representing a possible route for the relationships between safety climate, human factors, driver stress, driver groups and accidents, by emphasizing the effects of safety climate.

Professional non-neutrality: criticising the third party in psychotherapy

Using audio-recorded data from cognitive-constructivist psychotherapy, the article shows a particular institutional context in which successful professional action does not adhere to the pattern of affective neutrality which Parsons saw as an inherent component of medicine and psychotherapy. In our data, the professional’s non-neutrality functions as a tool for achieving institutional goals. The analysis focuses on the psychotherapist’s actions that convey a critical stance towards a third party with whom the patient has experienced problems. The data analysis revealed two practices of this kind of critique: (1) the therapist can confirm the critique that the patient has expressed or (2) return to the critique from which the patient has focused away. These actions are shown to build grounds for the therapist’s further actions that challenge the patient’s dysfunctional beliefs. The article suggests that in the case of psychotherapy, actions that as such might be seen as apparent lapses from the neutral professional role can in their specific context perform the task of the institution at hand.

A proposta de qualificação profissional do REUNI: contradições e possibilidades

O presente estudo documental tem como principal objetivo apreender, através da análise dos parâmetros teórico-metodológicos (PTM`s), a proposta de qualificação profissional desenvolvida no REUNI e nos BI`s UFBA. A escolha de investigar os PTM`s se deu por compreender que estes representam bem a proposta de qualificação profissional de ambos os planos referidos anteriormente, pois agregam uma série de categorias e conceitos que vêm sendo utilizados como referência pelas IES na adesão ao REUNI. Investigamos as respectivas categorias e conceitos e fizemos uma análise com base na referência de qualificação profissional como relação social. Percebemos que a proposta de qualificação profissional em voga no REUNI desloca e reduz esta referência de qualificação profissional em favorecimento à noção de competências e habilidades para o mercado. A metodologia adotada para a construção do texto foi de investigar, fichar e analisar criticamente as fontes primárias (documentos do governo, UFBA e BM) e secundárias (revisão de literatura de textos atuais que tratam deste objeto). Voltamos também esforços para a definição de categorias do método dialético, analíticas e de conteúdo que estivessem articuladas entre si, proporcionando a realização de mediações, próprias do método de análise e exposição adotado, o materialismo histórico dialético. A hipótese principal do estudo é que as tendências e diretrizes do REUNI contemplam as necessidades de reprodução do capital subsumindo o trabalho humano à sua lógica, cumprindo as demandas vinculadas às suas transformações contemporâneas. Estas medidas consistem numa heteronomia e visam desenvolver a formação de uma força de trabalho qualificada para atender a sociabilidade capitalista, porém ao mesmo tempo desqualificam a formação do trabalhador no que diz respeito à perspectiva da formação humana. Concluímos que se faz necessário o acúmulo de forças do campo da esquerda com intuito de travar uma disputa de hegemonia para desenvolver PTM`s, com base nas contradições e possibilidades do objeto, tendo como referência a lógica da formação humana.

A produção do conhecimento socialmente robusto no contexto da educação e do trabalho: inserção de moradores em comunidades do Rio de Janeiro no mercado de trabalho formal

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar o processo de inserção de pessoas de baixa renda moradoras em comunidades do Rio de Janeiro no mercado de trabalho formal, alunos e egressos dos cursos da Educação Profissional oferecidos no âmbito do Programa SESI Cidadania (PSC), implantado pela Federação das Indústrias do Rio de Janeiro (FIRJAN), em 12 de agosto de 2010, por meio do acordo de cooperação com o Governo do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. O objetivo do programa é levar projetos sociais para as comunidades com Unidade de Polícia Pacificadora (UPP); dentre eles, projetos educacionais com oferta gratuita de cursos na modalidade Qualificação Profissional, respaldada no Decreto n 6.635, de 5 de novembro de 2008. Por conseguinte, este estudo visa a propor iniciativas no sentido de facilitar o ingresso e a permanência dessas pessoas no mercado de trabalho formal e a geração de trabalho e renda. A experiência da autora com processos de inserção de alunos e egressos de cursos da Educação Profissional oferecidos pelo Programa SESI Cidadania sinaliza que as dificuldades enfrentadas por moradores das comunidades do Rio de Janeiro estão relacionadas às condições históricas, sociais, econômicas e culturais. Diante dessa problemática, adotamos a seguinte hipótese: as competências comportamentais, dos moradores das comunidades do Rio de Janeiro interferem na sua inserção no mercado de trabalho formal. Nesse aspecto, o foco de investigação foi verificar as competências observadas pelos profissionais de recursos humanos que interferem na inserção e permanência desses egressos nas empresas. Adotamos o conceito de competências entendido por Joel Souza Dutra (2001) bem como por alguns teóricos da Administração, que o definem como um conjunto de conhecimentos, habilidades e atitudes necessárias para que a pessoa desenvolva suas atribuições e responsabilidades. O recorte empírico se constituiu de dez empresas de pequeno, médio e grande porte sediadas na Região Metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro. A abordagem metodológica incluiu pesquisa de campo com base em dados de entrevistas semiestruturadas, sendo incorporada a técnica de análise de relato verbal. Formulamos um questionário para realização de entrevistas semidirigidas com profissionais de Recursos Humanos e dirigentes de empresas as quais nos permitiram identificar os fatores que interferem na inserção dessas pessoas no mercado de trabalho formal. As conclusões apontam dificuldades de inserção e permanência de moradores das comunidades do Rio de Janeiro no mercado de trabalho formal por aspectos relacionados à formação educacional básica, e sobretudo a competências comportamentais desenvolvidas no contexto sociocultural no qual estão inseridos, as quais se encontram desassociadas das competências comportamentais demandadas pelo mercado de trabalho formal. A relevância da pesquisa consiste na possibilidade de subsidiar a formulação de políticas públicas da Educação e do trabalho destinadas à formação profissional de pessoas de baixa renda moradoras das comunidades do Rio de Janeiro para geração de trabalho e renda.