No / Objective. To explore the lived experiences of pharmacy students undertaking an early pre-registration training placement in the United Kingdom, particularly with respect to the development of different aspects of their professionalism. Methods. Fourteen students returning from an early pre-registration placement (during the third year of their pharmacy degree) were interviewed, using a semi-structured approach. Grounded theory methods were used to analyze the transcripts and a theory was developed. Results. ʻDeveloping a professional identityʼ was the core process that occurred during the placement. This included four stages: (1) Reflection (2) Selection of attributes (3) Professional socialization and (4) Perception of role. As a consequence of ʻDeveloping a professional identityʼ, participants had a strong vision of the kind of pharmacist they wanted to be when qualified. They articulated an increased responsibility as students, and began to see themselves as ʻNow a trainee professionalʼ. Conclusion. This study strongly supports the use of an early pre-registration period to develop pharmacy students’ sense of professional identity and strengthen their motivation to learn.

The aim of the study was to examine how staff and managers at private shelters define quality in the work with victims of violence. Furthermore, the study aimed to examine what quality means in terms of knowledge and competence and what conditions the business provides its staff to achieve these requirements. The results show that quality is often governed by laws and quality indicators, with a focus on standardized methods. This can reduce flexibility and increase bureaucracy, which in turn negatively affects the quality of work with the client. The study confirms that a strict organizational view of quality ignores immeasurable aspects such as self-reflection and self-awareness, which the informants emphasize as important factors for quality in work with clients. The work criticizes the current structure and proposes the development of quality indicators that include occupational professionalism values ​​to achieve sustainable quality within sheltered housing.

While previous research in rhetoric and composition investigates how novice composition instructors negotiate the boundaries of professionalism and identity (Dall'Alba; Grouling; Restaino), the role of dress, or "performative strategic attire" (Mckoy), in crafting these teaching personas has not yet been explored. Viewing everyday dress choices through the lens of embodied rhetoric allows for a deeper understanding of the complex decision-making process of choosing what to wear (Woodward). Further, analyzing dress choice through embodied rhetoric showcases how clothing becomes a tool to craft a persona and inhabit an identity or role. Through positioning instructor's self-identity and naming their experiences and influences used in navigating the indeterminate boundaries of professionalism, we can further understand how novice instructors leverage dress to embody their new identity in academia. This study focuses on a sample population of three current Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) and three recently graduated GTAs, all currently teaching first-year composition within a large state university in Florida. Borrowing from methodologies used previously in the interdisciplinary field of fashion studies research, this study combines qualitative research methods of interviews with deep descriptions of outfits participants wore while instructing and visual analysis of those clothing items (Smith and Yates; Woodward) to locate concrete stories of the prior expectations imparted both by the institution and the novice instructors themselves. From this analysis, I argue that dress provides a material and visual space representing core aspects of how GTAs mediate their position as in between dichotomous identities of student and instructor. Ultimately, I suggest that by studying how the liminality of these positions is expressed and experienced through dress, we can move towards more equitable practices in the field of rhetoric and composition, in the process interrogating the idea of what it means to be "professional."

Finansiella rådgivare är en yrkesgrupp som ofta beskrivs hamna i en svår position mellan sin arbetsgivare och kunden. Arbetsgivaren kan sätta press på att sälja produkter, medan kunder eftersträvar att få en lämplig rådgivning som är anpassad utifrån kundens förutsättningar. Få studier har studerat hur olika finansiella rådgivare tänker och agerar i en rådgivningssituation mellan de två parterna, samt även hur rådgivarens professionalism påverkar. Vi skapade därför en modell som belyser hur arbetsgivare, professionalism och kundvärde påverkar en finansiell rådgivare. Syftet med denna studie är att skapa förståelse om hur faktorer från arbetsgivaren, professionalism och kundvärde påverkar finansiella rådgivares agerande utifrån rådgivarens olika individuella egenskaper. Teorierna som används i studien är nära relaterade till vad som kan påverka och förklara en finansiell rådgivares agerande. Agentteorin används för att visa på svårigheten i relationen rådgivare har till sina kunder och sin arbetsgivare. Teorin förklarar även hur belöningssystem används för att påverka finansiella rådgivare till att agera enligt arbetsgivarens önskningar. Metoden som användes för att erhålla data var först en förstudie med två intervjuer, som användes för att få information inför skapandet av studiens undersökningsmodell. Därefter användes en kvantitativ metod i form av webbenkäter som skickades ut till 348 finansiella rådgivare, vilka ligger till grund för studiens empiriska data. Slutsatsen visade att det existerar ett samband mellan rådgivare med lite erfarenhet, ung ålder, och till viss del även kvinnor vad gäller att känna sig pressade av arbetsgivaren. Erfarna finansiella rådgivare agerade mer utifrån kundvärde och värderar sin professionalism högre. Framtida forskning kan göra en kvalitativ studie som grundligt undersöker om studiens resultat är samma och utforska om det existerar fler faktorer inom undersökningsmodellen som kan påverka en finansiell rådgivare. / Financial advisors are a profession that is viewed as having a difficult position between their employer and the costumer. This position is a result of the employer wanting the financial advisor to create profitability, meanwhile, the customer on the other hand is looking for advice that is best suited for them. Few studies however, have explored how different financial advisors think and act between these two factors, also professionalism is a factor. We have therefore in this study, created a model that emphasizes key qualities in each factor. The purpose of this study is to create a better understanding about how financial advisors are effected by factors from the employer, their professionalism and costumer value. The theories used in this study are related to what might affect and explain financial advisor's behavior in their working situation. Agency theory is used to show the difficulty for an advisor in the relationship between clients and employers. The reward system theory is used to explain how employers can control financial advisors. The method used to obtain data was first through a preliminary study with two interviews. Then we used a quantitative approach in the form of surveys that were sent to 348 financial advisers. This data was then analyzed in SPSS. The conclusion shows that there is a link between advisors with little experience, young age, and to some extent gender to feel pressured by their employer. Experienced financial advisors acted more towards customer value and value their professionalism higher. Future research can make a qualitative study about the same subject, but explore it more in detail and examine if there are new factors that can exist in the model. They can also investigate if a qualitative study will result in the same as our study.

Revisorn har en viktig ställning dagens marknadsorienterade samhälle. För att intressenter ska känna sig säkra i att investera i ett företag är det viktigt att den information som företaget sänder ut har granskats av en opartisk aktör. Såtillvida är revisionens syfte är att skapa trygghet och stabilitet på de finansiella marknaderna. För att kunna genomföra detta uppdrag behöver revisorn kunskaper inom ett flertal områden. Inom professionen finns väletablerade titlar som medarbetarna har. Dessa titlar är revisorsassistent, senior, manager och partner. Trots dessa väletablerade titlar finns det inom forskningen få studier på hur kunskaperna utvecklas genom och hur kunskapen skiljer sig åt mellan de olika titlarna. Syftet med denna uppsats är således att utforska hur kunskaperna utvecklas genom de olika karriärstegen. För att utforska hur kunskaper utvecklas har inledningsvis ett teoretiskt ramverk skapats, som ger en bild av att revisorns kunskap utvecklas från teoretisk kunskap mot professionalism, som definieras som en färdighet. För att uppnå uppsatsens syfte har vi genomfört en kvalitativ studie baserad på tio intervjuer med revisorer som har lång arbetslivserfarenhet. Det faktum att dessa personer har en lång arbetslivserfarenhet i yrket gör att de kan se tillbaka på hur deras egen kunskap utvecklats genom karriären. De resultat som vi funnit är att den teoretiska kunskapen fortsätter att utvecklas genom hela karriären, genom fortbildning men också på grund av att yrket kontinuerligt förändras med omvärlden. Detta sammantaget med ett ständigt ökande ansvar innebär att revisorn kontinuerligt måste utvidga sin teoretiska kunskapsbas. En färdighet som måste behärskas är professionalism, denna är viktig redan i början av karriären men dess betydelse ökar för varje karriärsteg. Denna uppsats bidrar till att sprida ljus över hur kunskaper utvecklas genom en revisors karriär och kan således hjälpa studenter för att förstå professionens förväntningar men också hjälpa högskolor och universitet att utforma utbildningen så att den bättre möter revisionsbyråernas förväntningar. / Existing literature has highlighted that an auditor has an important role in the market oriented society. The objective of audit is to create stability on the financial markets, as the auditor has the function of an impartial controller of the information that companies disclose to their stakeholders. Some studies argue that, to be able to perform this mission, auditors need knowledge in several areas during their career. Within the profession there are well established titles such as assistant, senior, manager and partner. However, despite the fact that these titles are so well established, there are no studies on how knowledge is developed and evolved through the career and how knowledge differs between the various titles. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation is to explore how knowledge is developed through the different stages in an auditors’ career. In our attempt to explore the development of knowledge, we have first developed a theoretical framework suggesting that auditors’ knowledge evolves from a theoretical knowledge towards professionalism which is defined as a skill. Subsequently, we have conducted a qualitative study based on ten interviews with auditors who have extensive work experience. The extensive work experience allows the respondents to reflect on their own knowledge, and how the knowledge has evolved through their career. The empirical evidence shows that theoretical knowledge is an important part of an auditor’s knowledge all the way through the career but it is constantly evolving, through education, due to the changes in the environment. These findings, combined with the growing responsibility in the daily work, implies that an auditor has to constantly increase the theoretical knowledge base. Already in the beginning of the career, professionalism is an important skill, but the higher in the hierarchy an auditor gets professionalism is seen as more and more important skill. This paper sheds light on how knowledge evolves through an auditor’s career and therefore it gives a contribution to students as it gives them a picture of the professions demands. Another contribution is to the education system as this paper allows tertiary education to be formed so it better meets the demands from the audit companies.

This doctoral thesis investigates the interrelatedness between school policy and practice. In the thesis, the construction of “the teacher” is analysed in school policy documents and teacher interviews. I am particularly interested in the relation between school policy and school practice in light of the two latest curriculum reforms 1994 and 2011 and the teacher accreditation registration reform of 2011. The analysis focuses on two topics: grading and the professional teacher. In fact, an analytic link is made between the emphasis on grading and the discursive construction of the teacher in Swedish education policy. The theoretical framework is positioned within institutional theory within which I combine curriculum theory and the sociological new institutionalism with discourse theory. The analyses of policy documents reveals three types of different discursive constructions of “the teacher”. In the period of deregulation and decentralization, a professional teacher is constructed and the need for an autonomous teacher for school quality is expressed. By the 1990s -2000s an unprofessional grading teacher is constructed. In the period signifying the teacher accreditation and registration reform, a quality assured teacher is constructed. It is a teacher who is formally authorized and in need of continuing evaluation. In the focus groups interviews teachers constructs two types of professionalism. One is in line with the professionalism articulated in the policy texts and is about control and formal regulation and the other is about autonomy. Furthermore, the teachers relate to grading and teachers' ability to act in accordance with their overall teaching assignment. Grading were often constructed opposed to teaching. Demands for documentation, quality reports or the requirement of teacher accreditation is described as institutional practices defined from above. These practices make it difficult for teachers to complete their teaching assignments. The study indicates that teachers' ability to operate in an increasingly regulatory schooling culture has, through the types of requirements for transparency in teachers’ work, resulted in the decline of autonomy in their professional practice.

Syftet med denna studie var ett undersöka hur socionomer framställs i facklig litteratur för att kunna belysa legitimitetsgrundade faktorer för socionomprofessionen. Studien har baserats på en kvalitativ innehållsanalys och använt sig av professionalism som teoretisk utgångspunkt. Genom ett urval av artiklar genomfördes studien med innehållsanalysen genom att koda materialet för att sedan analysera vad som är legitimititetsgrundande faktorer för socionomerna. Resultatet visade att socionomprofessionen uppfyller kriterierna för legitimation genom sin breda och specialiserade kunskap, sin autonomi som de önskar vore högre och sitt klientfokus. Vidare visade resultatet att socionomyrkena var starkt kringskurna i sin autonomi och kontrollerade av politiska instanser. Socionomerna ansåg att med sin högskolegrundade utbildning var de berättigade en legitimation för att ge större autonomi inom yrket och säkerställa klientsäkerheten. / The purpose of this study was to research how social workers are presented in union magazines to illustrate legitimacy-based factors for social workers. The study was based on a qualitative content analysis and used professionalism as a theory. Through the selection of articles, the study of the content analysis was conducted by coding the material and then analyzing what the legitimacy-based factors were for the social workers. The result showed that the social workers meet the criteria of legitimacy through its broad and specialized knowledge, its autonomy that they wish to be higher, and its client focus. Furthermore, the results showed that the autonomy of the social service professions was lacking, and they often felt controlled by political bodies. The socio-economists considered that with their college-based education they were entitled to a credential to give greater autonomy in the profession and ensure client safety.

Socialtjänsten har ett stort ansvar när det kommer till barn och unga och ska verka för att de växer upp under goda och trygga förhållande. Att arbeta med barn och unga inom ramen för socialarbete beskrivs som utmanande och många socialarbetare som arbetar med denna målgrupp tenderar att drabbas av sekundär traumatisering och utbrändhet. Hur socialarbetare hanterar och upplever olika känslor som uppstår i deras professionella möte med barn och unga är dock ett område som är relativt outforskat trots att det är något som kan få betydelse för alla involverade. Syftet med denna studie har varit att förstå hur socialarbetarnas känsloarbete ser ut och påverkas i mötet med barn och unga som begått allvarligare brott, för att belysa och tydliggöra socialarbetarnas behov. I denna studie har intervjuer genomförts med sex socionomer som på olika sätt arbetar inom ramen för socialtjänsten i Sverige. Resultatet indikerar att socialarbetare aktivt använder sig av känsloarbete för att upprätthålla professionalism och försöka göra skillnad. Samtidigt upplever de svårigheter att förankra teoretisk kunskap i det praktiska arbetet. Studien indikerar att det kan vara värdefullt att förstå hur socialarbetarnas känsloarbete ser ut för att bidra med kunskap relevant för professionell utveckling och det relationskapande arbetet. / Social services have a great responsibility when it comes to children and young people work to ensure that they grow up in good and safe conditions. Working with children and young people within the framework of social work is described as challenging and many social workers who work with this group tend to suffer from secondary traumatization and burnout. However, how social workers handle and experience different emotions that arise in their professional encounter with children and young people is an area that is relatively unexplored, even though it is something that can be important for everyone involved. The purpose of this thesis has been to understand how social workers emotional labour looks like and is affected in the meeting with children and young people who have committed serious crimes, to highlight and clarify the social workers needs. In this study, interviews have been conducted with six social workers who work within social services in Sweden. The results indicate that social workers actively use emotional labour to maintain professionalism and to try to create change. At the same time, the social workers experience difficulties in anchoring the theoretical knowledge in the practical work. The study indicates that it is valuable to understand social workers emotional labour to contribute knowledge relevant to professional development and the relationship-building work.

No description available.

This dissertation attempts to deepen our understanding of teachers’ work and professionality, which involves not only their reasoning about what to teach and how to teach it, but also of what it is that makes education possible. This is accomplished by exploring a highly influential, if underestimated and under-researched, dimension of teacher practice and professionality: the relational dimension, involving the establishment and maintenance of educational relationships with and among students. In the imperatives and challenges of the 21st century the importance of highlighting the relational dimension seems to be a concern of increasing importance. Through interviews and observation that have generated the empirical material, the relational practices of eleven teachers are analyzed in accordance with a particular methodological scheme. Apart from providing a descriptive mapping of these practices, this study presents the practical arguments given by informants to substantiate their use. The numerous examples of relational practices and practical arguments that are herein provided serve to empirically confirm the pervasive relational character of a teacher’s work. What emerges is an understanding of an educational relationship, established and maintained by practices that seek genuine human contact with students, and that views relational attributes such as trust, social justice, benevolence, empathy and openness to the other as being of vital importance to the entirety of the educational process. In addition, the practices involving enacting educational communities among students, are shown to have significance for the educational process. What emerges as well is a conception of relational professionality as something that can be learned, meaning that teachers are made, not born. Moreover, “being professional” is here conceived, in pedagogical rather than sociological terms, as something that involves the quality of a teacher’s actions rather than the fact that s/he belongs to a particular profession. The findings of this study strongly suggest that relationships in schools often require conscious attention, rigorous work and delicate negotiations on the part of teachers in order to be (or become) educational. The process of education is sustained by an array of subtle relational conditions. The attempt of the teacher to deal with these conditions requires specific professional experience, understandings and practices.