Weighing up the commitment: a grounded theory of the transition from occupational therapy clinician to academic.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Growth in the number of occupational therapy programmes in Australia has resulted in a critical shortage of academics. When experienced clinicians are recruited into academia, they may find the transition process difficult. The study aimed to explore clinicians' perspectives of what happens when they transition into academia. METHOD: A constructivist grounded theory approach was used in this qualitative research project. Recruitment was conducted using purposive and theoretical sampling from occupational therapy programmes in Australia. Interview transcripts were analysed using constant comparative method through a process of open, axial, selective and theoretical coding. RESULTS: Sixteen participants engaged in semi-structured in-depth interviews. The theory of transition into academia included a process of 'weighing up the commitment' to academia and the core category of 'a good fit for me'. The transition was characterised by the taxing nature of the work, the need to learn multiple aspects of a new role, the different values and beliefs in an academic environment and the amount of time it took to achieve success. Participants underwent a shift in identity to adjust to the academic environment and eventually reached a point where they were able to judge if academia suited them. CONCLUSION: Australian universities have long-standing cultural practices which differ considerably from clinical settings. Transitioning from a clinical to an academic occupational therapy role requires complex adjustments to values, beliefs and identity. The process involved consideration by the new academics of their 'fit' for academia, and how committed they were to stay.

Strengthening faculty recruitment for health professions training in basic sciences in Zambia.

Zambia is facing a crisis in its human resources for health, with deficits in the number and skill mix of health workers. The University of Zambia School of Medicine (UNZA SOM) was the only medical school in the country for decades, but recently it was joined by three new medical schools--two private and one public. In addition to expanding medical education, the government has also approved several allied health programs, including pharmacy, physiotherapy, biomedical sciences, and environmental health. This expansion has been constrained by insufficient numbers of faculty. Through a grant from the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI), UNZA SOM has been investing in ways to address faculty recruitment, training, and retention. The MEPI-funded strategy involves directly sponsoring a cohort of faculty at UNZA SOM during the five-year grant, as well as establishing more than a dozen new master's programs, with the goal that all sponsored faculty are locally trained and retained. Because the issue of limited basic science faculty plagues medical schools throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, this strategy of using seed funding to build sustainable local capacity to recruit, train, and retain faculty could be a model for the region.

First steps in the journey from consumers to producers of research in deaf education.

Faculty shortages in the study of low-incidence sensory disabilities (deafness, blindness, deaf-blindness) constitute personnel preparation challenges, as documented by a variety of organizations. To alleviate this deficit in the low-incidence sensory disability professoriat, the National Leadership Consortium for Sensory Disabilities (NLCSD) was created to support the preparation of preservice researchers in these disciplines. This qualitative study documents the emerging perceptions of research by deafness-focused NLCSD first-year doctoral Fellows during their participation in an online enrichment seminar. Thematic analysis of the online interactions of the Fellows reveals their initial steps in their journey from consumers to producers of research. Results of the study offer insight into the preparation process of leadership personnel in deaf education.

Institutional capacity for health systems research in East and Central African Schools of Public Health: strengthening human and financial resources.

BACKGROUND: Despite its importance in providing evidence for health-related policy and decision-making, an insufficient amount of health systems research (HSR) is conducted in low-income countries (LICs). Schools of public health (SPHs) are key stakeholders in HSR. This paper, one in a series of four, examines human and financial resources capacities, policies and organizational support for HSR in seven Africa Hub SPHs in East and Central Africa. METHODS: Capacity assessment done included document analysis to establish staff numbers, qualifications and publications; self-assessment using a tool developed to capture individual perceptions on the capacity for HSR and institutional dialogues. Key informant interviews (KIIs) were held with Deans from each SPH and Ministry of Health and non-governmental officials, focusing on perceptions on capacity of SPHs to engage in HSR, access to funding, and organizational support for HSR. RESULTS: A total of 123 people participated in the self-assessment and 73 KIIs were conducted. Except for the National University of Rwanda and the University of Nairobi SPH, most respondents expressed confidence in the adequacy of staffing levels and HSR-related skills at their SPH. However, most of the researchers operate at individual level with low outputs. The average number of HSR-related publications was only <1 to 3 per staff member over a 6-year period with most of the publications in international journals. There is dependency on external funding for HSR, except for Rwanda, where there was little government funding. We also found that officials from the Ministries of Health often formulate policy based on data generated through ad hoc technical reviews and consultancies, despite their questionable quality. CONCLUSIONS: There exists adequate skilled staff for HSR in the SPHs. However, HSR conducted by individuals, fuelled by Ministries' of Health tendency to engage individual researchers, undermines institutional capacity. This study underscores the need to form effective multidisciplinary teams to enhance research of immediate and local relevance. Capacity strengthening in the SPH needs to focus on knowledge translation and communication of findings to relevant audiences. Advocacy is needed to influence respective governments to allocate adequate funding for HSR to avoid donor dependency that distorts local research agenda.

El profesor universitario en la formación de valores éticos / The university professor in the formation of ethical values

La sociedad necesita de egresados universitarios con verdaderos valores. El presente artículo tiene como objetivo reflexionar sobre el papel que debe desempeñar el profesor universitario en la formación de valores éticos. Se analizan las raíces del término valor desde su origen en el neokantismo como parte de su reacción ante el positivismo. Se destaca que los valores valen por sí mismos, son importantes por lo que son, lo que significan y lo que representan. Se discute la educación en valores y sus tres elementos básicos: intencionar, explicitar y particularizar, asimismo se realiza un análisis desde la bioética. Se debaten algunas experiencias cubanas para el desarrollo de valores desde la Educación Superior. Se concluye que los profesores deben mantener una adecuada conducta en cada una de sus actuaciones, en cada toma de decisión porque la enseñanza es ante todo ejemplo(AU)

The society needs of university graduates with true values. The present article has as objective to meditate on the paper that the university professor should carry out in the ethical formation of values. The roots of the term value are analyzed from their origin in the neokantism like part of their reaction in the face of the positivism. He stands out that the values are worth for themselves, they are important for what they are, what they mean, and what they represent. You discusses the education in values and their three basic elements: to intention, to explein and to particularize, also he is carried out an analysis from the bioethics. The Cuban experiences are debated for the development of values from the Superior Education. You concludes that the professors should maintain an appropriate behavior in each one of their performances, in each taking of decision because the teaching is above all example(AU)

El profesor universitario en la formación de valores éticos / The university professor in the formation of ethical values

La sociedad necesita de egresados universitarios con verdaderos valores. El presente artículo tiene como objetivo reflexionar sobre el papel que debe desempeñar el profesor universitario en la formación de valores éticos. Se analizan las raíces del término valor desde su origen en el neokantismo como parte de su reacción ante el positivismo. Se destaca que los valores valen por sí mismos, son importantes por lo que son, lo que significan y lo que representan. Se discute la educación en valores y sus tres elementos básicos: intencionar, explicitar y particularizar, asimismo se realiza un análisis desde la bioética. Se debaten algunas experiencias cubanas para el desarrollo de valores desde la Educación Superior. Se concluye que los profesores deben mantener una adecuada conducta en cada una de sus actuaciones, en cada toma de decisión porque la enseñanza es ante todo ejemplo...

The society needs of university graduates with true values. The present article has as objective to meditate on the paper that the university professor should carry out in the ethical formation of values. The roots of the term value are analyzed from their origin in the neokantism like part of their reaction in the face of the positivism. He stands out that the values are worth for themselves, they are important for what they are, what they mean, and what they represent. You discusses the education in values and their three basic elements: to intention, to explein and to particularize, also he is carried out an analysis from the bioethics. The Cuban experiences are debated for the development of values from the Superior Education. You concludes that the professors should maintain an appropriate behavior in each one of their performances, in each taking of decision because the teaching is above all example...

Estrategia de superación para profesores que imparten docencia en la carrera de Tecnología de la Salud / A strategy to train the professors teaching in Health Technology Studies

El proceso de universalización de la Educación Superior es parte de la Batalla de ideas, y como todo proceso revolucionario está en constante perfeccionamiento, la formación del personal calificado de salud en las distintas modalidades, a partir del curso escolar 2009-2010 se producen cambios significativos en la formación de pregrado de la carrera de Tecnología de la Salud. El objetivo fue diseñar una estrategia de superación para resolver las carencias que poseen desde el punto de vista psicológico, metodológico y científico metodológico los docentes que imparten clases en la carrera tecnología de esta filial, que les permita enfrentar las actuales transformaciones. El universo estuvo conformado por veinticinco profesores que imparten docencia en la carrera, coincidiendo este con la muestra. Los métodos teóricos utilizados fueron: análisis-síntesis, inductivo-deductivo, histórico-lógico y como empírico la observación en la realización de visitas a clases, y la estadística descriptiva para procesar los resultados. El conjunto de indagaciones teóricas y empíricas posibilitaron determinar las necesidades de los docentes que limita su desempeño profesional. Además permitió identificar las áreas temáticas a incluir en la superación por las carencias que poseen en la formación de pregrado. Las temáticas determinadas se evaluaron como pertinentes, y las formas organizativas incluidas en la estrategia fueron: talleres, cursos cortos de postgrado y actividades demostrativas, reuniones metodológicas y conferencias. El sistema que se está aplicando ha solucionado en gran medida las necesidades que identificaron los encuestados y entrevistados, lo que redunda en una mejor preparación para desarrollar las actividades docentes(AU)

The process of universalization in Higher Medical Education is part of the Batalla de Ideas project, and as each revolutionary process, it is in constant upgrading, thus the training of qualified personnel of health system is carried out in relation to different methods. From the academic course 2009-2010 significant changes took place in Health Technology Undergraduate Studies. The objective was to design a strategy to solve psychological, methodological and scientific-methodological problems of the teaching staff to face up the current changes. The target group was comprised of 25 professors, coinciding with the sample. The theoretical methods used were: analysis-synthesis, induction-deduction and historical-logic; along with observation through visits to classes as an empirical method. Descriptive statistics was applied to process the results. The set of theoretical and empirical inquires made possible to determine the needs of the teaching staff that limit their professional competences; besides it was possible to identify the areas of the subject matter to be included in the training of this teaching staff due to the lack of pre-graduate preparation they have. The subject matters chosen were appropriated; as well as the ways of organization included, such as: workshops, short-postgraduate courses, demonstrative teaching activities, methodological meetings and conferences. The system applied has given solution, in large extend, to the needs that were identified on the surveys and/or interviews, leading to a better preparation to develop the teaching activities(AU)

Child-to-teacher ratio and day care teacher sickness absenteeism.

The literature on occupational health points to work pressure as a trigger of sickness absence. However, reliable, objective measures of work pressure are in short supply. This paper uses Danish day care teachers as an ideal case for analysing whether work pressure measured by the child-to-teacher ratio, that is, the number of children per teacher in an institution, affects teacher sickness absenteeism. We control for individual teacher characteristics, workplace characteristics, and family background characteristics of the children in the day care institutions. We perform estimations for two time periods, 2002-2003 and 2005-2006, by using generalized method of moments with lagged levels of the child-to-teacher ratio as instrument. Our estimation results are somewhat mixed. Generally, the results indicate that the child-to-teacher ratio is positively related to short-term sickness absence for nursery care teachers, but not for preschool teachers.

A blueprint for transitioning pharmacy residents into successful clinical faculty members in colleges and schools of pharmacy.

With the increase of new pharmacy colleges and schools throughout the country, the number of open clinical academic pharmacy positions continues to grow. Considering the abundance of clinical faculty positions available nationwide and the increased likelihood of current pharmacy residents transitioning from residency directly into academia, pharmacy residents must be prepared to succeed in the role of new clinical faculty member. However, no blueprint or recommendations have yet been provided to facilitate this transition. The purpose of this review article is to evaluate the literature regarding transitioning pharmacy students and/or residents into faculty roles. The literature reviewed represents nursing, medical, graduate school, and engineering disciplines because no literature on this topic was available from the pharmacy profession. Based on the recommendations provided in the literature and on the authors' experience at their college, they created a blueprint consisting of 7 components to help residents transition directly into their roles as faculty members.

The challenge of education and learning in the developing world.

Across many different contexts, randomized evaluations find that school participation is sensitive to costs: Reducing out-of-pocket costs, merit scholarships, and conditional cash transfers all increase schooling. Addressing child health and providing information on how earnings rise with education can increase schooling even more cost-effectively. However, among those in school, test scores are remarkably low and unresponsive to more-of-the-same inputs, such as hiring additional teachers, buying more textbooks, or providing flexible grants. In contrast, pedagogical reforms that match teaching to students' learning levels are highly cost effective at increasing learning, as are reforms that improve accountability and incentives, such as local hiring of teachers on short-term contracts. Technology could potentially improve pedagogy and accountability. Improving pre- and postprimary education are major future challenges.

Teacherpreneurs: a bold brand of teacher leadership for 21st-century teaching and learning.

Challenges facing our public schools demand a bold brand of teacher leadership. Teacherpreneurs, effective teachers who teach students regularly but also incubate and execute the kinds of policies and pedagogies students deserve, represent a new culture of training and ingenuity. Teachers who lead outside the classroom but do not lose their connection to students are best positioned to develop and disseminate best policies and practices for 21st-century teaching and learning.