fostering:-foster(v) to encourage sth to develop
competent:(adj) having enough skill or knowledge to do sth well or to the necessary standard
integrity: the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles
livelier:-lively(adj) full of life and energy, active and enthusiastic
blueprint: a plan which shows what can be achieved and how it can be achieved
facilitating: facilitate(v) to make an action or a process possible or easier
sling psychrometer: a type of thermometers
didactic: designed to teach people sth, especially a moral lesson
preceptor: teacher or instructor
haphazard: with no particular order or plan, not organized well
fluctuate: to change frequently in size, amount, quality.
domain: an area of knowledge or activity
autonomy: the ability to act and make decisions without being controlled by anyone else
pillar: a basic part or feature of a system, organization, belief.
altruism: the fact of caring about the needs and happiness of other people more than your own (opp: egoism)
Learning Professionalism in Athletic Training Education
Debbie I. Craig, PhD, ATC
Northern
The level of professionalism demonstrated by undergraduate athletic training students may vary greatly within athletic training education programs (ATEPs) across the nation. Fostering professional characteristics is essential to developing competent graduates; people who see athletic training as a profession rather than just a job. The purpose of this article is to define professionalism and discuss its development in athletic training students. The topic of developing professionalism in students is not new. The medical profession has conducted considerable research to understand how students learn professionalism. Previously, role modeling has been relied on heavily as a tool for teaching professionalism. However, research is beginning to show that this traditional method of transmitting professional values is no longer adequate.
Defining Professionalism within Learner-Centered Education
To discuss learning professionalism, a working definition is needed. For the purpose of this paper, professionalism is defined as “...the conduct or qualities that characterize a professional person or a profession.” It is the conduct, or behavior, and the qualities, or characteristics, of a professional person that make it difficult to create one definition agreed upon by all. In one study, 90 separate elements of professionalism were described. Some behaviors and characteristics relating to professionalism that are commonly written about are autonomy (independence), altruism (unselfishness, or putting the patient before yourself), collegiality (teamwork/courtesy toward peers in your profession), integrity, morality, responsibility, and the pursuit of excellence (commitment to expanding one’s knowledge).
Many of these characteristics are not easily taught in the classroom or the clinic. They are learned through the experiences each student encounters. Each of these experiences may lead to different learning for each individual. “An activity becomes what people turn it into by bringing in a reference frame that they developed through earlier experience.” Though experiences that students encounter are controlled to some degree, what they take from those experiences will vary according to past experiences. To understand this further, a differentiation must be made between teacher-centered education and learner-centered education. Hovelynck states, “It is not about developing livelier ways to pass on teachers’ blueprints of reality to students, but about facilitating the learners’ process of developing their own blueprints.” For instance, one way to teach students how to use a sling psychrometer is to demonstrate its use in front of the class. This would be teacher-centered education. A learner-centered approach would be to hand students a sling psychrometer and a list of four sites where they need to take comparative readings. Discussion would follow where the students report their findings and talk about reasons why different readings may have occurred. Thus, student learning arises from the student’s own experience–building their own blueprint. This limited example includes the common professionalism characteristics of autonomy, responsibility, the pursuit of excellence, and collegiality.
When applied to learning professionalism, a teacher-centered approach would be to define the characteristics of professionalism in the classroom through lecture. A learner-centered approach would be having students define professionalism on their own through a search of the literature. They would share this with the class, along with a list of how they feel they demonstrate professionalism, and ways they could improve upon this in their clinical setting. This makes the lesson personal to the learner. Using learner-centered education, then, presents even further complexity to the already complex topic of developing professionalism. Indeed, some authors view it as difficult or nearly impossible to teach professionalism in the didactic, traditional ways. Batlle suggested that teaching professionalism in the classroom creates further knowledge of an academic subject, not professionals. However, assuming that professionalism will be learned during clinical experiences may also create varied results. In a study on educating for promotion of professionalism, Wessel stated, “While medical students cited their clinical experiences with preceptors as a highlight of their medical school experience, the clinical experiences were often variable, resulting in haphazard and fluctuating levels of learning for students in the same program.”
Within each ATEP, a variety of approved clinical instructors (ACIs) commonly serve as role models for students. Each of these ACIs will naturally demonstrate professionalism differently. Thus, regardless of presentation in the classroom, student learning of professionalism will fluctuate with their clinical placements. This fluctuation may be decreased to some degree by the equal rotation of students through all clinical sites. Thus careful selection of the most professional ACIs is critical for optimal development of professionalism in students.
Data from medical school admissions material do not predict professional behavior. The only significant predictors of medical student professionalism were in domains where students had opportunities to demonstrate conscientious behavior or humility in self-assessment. In athletic training education, students must be provided with ample clinical experience allowing enough autonomy for them to demonstrate behaviors and self-assess those behaviors. Discussion of their self-assessment with their ACI completes each individual learning experience.
Autonomy is necessary to develop the three pillars of professionalism, expertise, ethics, and service. Without some degree of autonomy, students cannot learn necessary skills (expertise), practice necessary altruism and responsibility as demonstrated by ACIs (ethics), and provide necessary service to athletes/patients.
Being good healers is not enough. Athletic trainers, like physicians, will be “judged both as healers and as professionals, and when they do not fulfill their obligations in either role, both they and the profession suffer.” The following is a list of components that Cruss and Cruss feel should be included in medical education to foster growth of both the healer and the professional:
-There must be a clear definition of professionalism and its characteristics.
-There must be identifiable content in the curriculum devoted to professionalism.
- Professionalism must be viewed as an ideal to be pursued, highlighting altruism and social responsibility.
-Students must conceptualize that being a professional is a privilege, not a right.
-The [athletic trainer] must be conceptualized as a healer and a professional.
-Students must understand that moral behavior is essential to maintain the trust of patients and society.
-Knowledge of the code of ethics governing the profession must be communicated.
-There must be an understanding of the essential nature of the autonomy of the individual [athletic trainer], along with the legitimate limitations that have always existed. A minimum degree of autonomy is required to exercise the necessary independent judgment to best serve the patient.
-There must be an understanding of the nature of the collective autonomy of the profession and its regulatory practices.
-The ATEP must present the material that is both critical and supportive of ideals related to the profession.
Comprehension Questions
1.What is the objective of this article?
2.How does the author define “professionalism”? Does she give us one definition, or not?
3.What are two types of educational styles?
4.According to the author, what is “Autonomy” necessary for ?
Discussion Questions
1. The author shows many elements of professionalism. In your opinion, which one is the most important? How do you define “professionalism”?
2.Which educational style do you prefer if you learn professionalism?
3.Can this topic apply for other fields? If so, please share your opinion.
4.If you are an athlete or a patient, what characteristic do you expect an athletic trainer?
-------------------------------------Comprehension Questions
1.What is the objective of this article?
This article has clear objective discussion on how to enhance professionalism.
2.How does the author define “professionalism”? Does she give us one definition, or not?
The author does define the meaning of professionalism as“...the conduct or qualities that characterize a professional person or a profession.”
3.What are two types of educational styles?
They are learner-centered education which emphasis on students engagement and teacher-centered education that teacher lectures alone.
4.According to the author, what is “Autonomy” necessary for ?
Autonomy is independent and it is important for learner to have their own boundary of thinking, innovating and acting. It is one of virtues such as integrity, altruism, morality, responsibility, collegiality and pursue of excellence.
Discussion Questions
1. The author shows many elements of professionalism. In your opinion, which one is the most important? How do you define “professionalism”?
Personally, learner-centered education is the best source of professionalism because according to diverse behaviors and tendencies of individuality; professionalism can be established for their own exploring. Professionalism means expertise on one particular subject.
2.Which educational style do you prefer if you learn professionalism?
I prefer learner-centered education to develop professionalism.
3.Can this topic apply for other fields? If so, please share your opinion.
Yes, the author also mention in training athletics, but I think we can apply it with other training as well.
4.If you are an athlete or a patient, what characteristic do you expect an athletic trainer?
Sh/he should be sympathetic and patient.
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