The educational paradigm shift-a phenomenographic study of medical teachers' experiences of practices.

BACKGROUND: This paper proposes a novel approach to the development of competence-oriented higher education, a national transformation aimed at harmonising and digitising undergraduate medical and dental education in Finland. METHODS: We apply phenomenography as a viable qualitative method for medical education research. To better understand medical teachers' expectations towards the change in the educational paradigm, we need to study teachers' experiences of the current practices in undergraduate medical and dental education. The phenomenographic approach facilitates solid links between research, educational development, and change. RESULTS: The phenomenographic study maps the qualitatively different ways in which medical teachers experience undergraduate medical and dental education practices. The answers reflect the changing educational paradigm in medical schools, suggesting practical implications for further development of medical and dental education and training. Core content analysis is preferred instructional scaffold for both teachers and students to prioritise the extensive medical education objectives. The change towards competence-based orientation is in progress and national co-operation accelerates its impact. CONCLUSION: There is an obvious need to enrich the content of the current curriculum with national guidelines that aim for congruence in assessment and objectives. Our results suggest an assessment application for the theoretical concepts presented and promote the competence orientation of education throughout the curricula of medical and dental undergraduate education. Moreover, our results contribute to current European discourses on competence-based approaches in higher education. Up-to-date pedagogical faculty development programmes are a key prerequisite for teacher empowerment and future orientation in teaching and learning for healthcare professions.

Career experts' conceptions of innovation in career development.

This article reports the findings from a phenomenographic investigation into career experts' conceptions of innovation in career development. The results show that conceptions of innovation in career development varied from (1) initiating service, (2) developing demographic-based programmes, (3) professionalising the sector to (4) exploiting cross-sectoral synergies. The findings give us a more profound understanding of critical aspects that may have an important role in improving innovation in career development.

Conceptions d'experts de l'orientation des innovation dans le domaine du développement de carrière Cet article rapporte les résultats d'une étude phénoménographique sur les conceptions des expert·e·s de carrière en matière d'innovation dans le développement de carrière. Les résultats montrent que les conceptions de l'innovation dans le développement de carrière varient de (1) l'initiation du service, (2) le développement de programmes pour des populations spécifiques, (3) la professionnalisation de secteurs à (4) l'exploitation des synergies intersectorielles. Les résultats nous donnent une compréhension plus profonde des aspects critiques qui peuvent avoir un rôle important dans l'amélioration de l'innovation dans le domaine du développement de carrière.

Concepciones de los expertos sobre la innovación en el desarrollo de la carrera Este artículo presenta los resultados de una investigación fenomenográfica sobre las concepciones de los expertos en carreras profesionales sobre la innovación en el desarrollo de la carrera. Los resultados muestran que las concepciones de la innovación en el desarrollo de la carrera varían desde (1) la iniciación del servicio, (2) el desarrollo de programas de base demográfica, (3) la profesionalización del sector hasta (4) el aprovechamiento de las sinergias intersectoriales. Los resultados nos permiten comprender más profundamente los aspectos críticos que pueden tener un papel importante en la mejora de la innovación en el desarrollo de la carrera.

Associations of fine and ultrafine particulate air pollution with stroke mortality in an area of low air pollution levels.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Daily variation in outdoor concentrations of inhalable particles (PM(10) <10 microm in diameter) has been associated with fatal and nonfatal stroke. Toxicological and epidemiological studies suggest that smaller, combustion-related particles are especially harmful. We therefore evaluated the effects of several particle measures including, for the first time to our knowledge, ultrafine particles (<0.1 microm) on stroke. METHODS: Levels of particulate and gaseous air pollution were measured in 1998 to 2004 at central outdoor monitoring sites in Helsinki. Associations between daily levels of air pollutants and deaths caused by stroke among persons aged 65 years or older were evaluated in warm and cold seasons using Poisson regression. RESULTS: There was a total of 1304 and 1961 deaths from stroke in warm and cold seasons, respectively. During the warm season, there were positive associations of stroke mortality with current- and previous-day levels of fine particles (<2.5 microm, PM(2.5)) (6.9%; 95% CI, 0.8% to 13.8%; and 7.4%; 95% CI, 1.3% to 13.8% for an interquartile increase in PM(2.5)) and previous-day levels of ultrafine particles (8.5%; 95% CI, -1.2% to 19.1%) and carbon monoxide (8.3; 95% CI, 0.6 to 16.6). Associations for fine particles were mostly independent of other pollutants. There were no associations in the cold season. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that especially PM(2.5), but also ultrafine particles and carbon monoxide, are associated with increased risk of fatal stroke, but only during the warm season. The effect of season might be attributable to seasonal differences in exposure or air pollution mixture.

Career practitioners' conceptions of social media in career services.

This article reports the outcomes of a study, undertaken from a phenomenographic perspective, of career practitioners' conceptions of social media usage in career services. Fifteen Finnish career practitioners - representing comprehensive, secondary and higher education as well as public employment services - were interviewed in focus groups. The analysis of the interview data revealed five distinct descriptive categories reflecting the career practitioners' conceptions of social media's use in career services. Social media in career services was conceived as (1) unnecessary, (2) dispensable, (3) a possibility, (4) desirable and (5) indispensable. The results indicated associations between career practitioners' conceptions and their practice. Moreover, the critical aspects identified in this study can be used to support the career practitioners' understanding of new technologies in career services.