Conceptions of
Professionalism
and
Professionality
Andrew Wilson
Hull College
To discuss
[It is] argued that professionalism is
synonymous with quality and the current
practices relating to maintaining and
monitoring standards are issues of
contentious debate.
Warrior (2002)
What is your view?
What is a profession
and what is a
professional?
What is your
definition of
profession and
professional
Problem?
Is your view evidence or opinion based?
Dictionary definitions
Profession
…an occupation requiring special training in the
liberal arts or sciences, especially one of the three
learned professions, law, theology, or medicine.
Dictionary definitions
Professional:
of, relating to, suitable for, or engaged in as
a profession
engaging in an activity for gain or as a
means of livelihood
extremely competent in a job
To what extent does your
definition match the dictionary
ones?
Problem?
Dictionary definitions are not the full story
Most theorists indicate that working for the
public good is a characteristic of a
profession.
Profession (Academic definition)
…an occupation with a crucial social
function, requiring a high degree of skill
and drawing on a systematic body of
knowledge.
Sockett (1985:27)
Models of Professionalism
A number of theorists saw a profession as an
organisation whose members satisfied specific
and measurable criteria
Millerson’s (1964) Model of
Professionalism
• A skill based on theoretical knowledge
•
Intellectual training and education
• The testing of competence
• Closure of the profession by restrictive organisation
• A code of conduct
• An altruistic service in the affairs of others
Problem?
…professionalism is not some socialscientific absolute, but a historically
changing and socially constructed conceptin-use
Holroyd (2000)
Can we measure something that lacks a
fixed meaning?
Hoyle (1974) Hoyle & John (1995)
Professionalism and Professionality
Professionalism – strategies and rhetoric
employed by members of an occupation to
improve status, salary and conditions, and…
Professionality – knowledge, skills and
procedures employed by teachers in the
process of teaching.
Hoyle (1974) Hoyle & John (1995)
Professionalism and Professionality
Suggested 2 forms of professionality…
…restricted and extended
Restricted Professionality
Extended Professionality
Skills derived from experience
Skills derived from a mediation between
experience and theory
Perspective limited to the immediate in time
and place
Perspective embracing the broader social
context of education
Workplace events perceived in isolation
Workplace events perceived in relation to
policies and goals
Introspective with regard to methods
Methods compared with those of colleagues
and with reports of practice
Value placed on autonomy
Value placed on professional collaboration
Limited involvement in non immediate
professional activities
High involvement in non immediate
professional activities (eg networks, research,
professional associations)
Infrequent reading of professional literature
Regular reading of professional literature
Involvement in professional development
limited and confined to practical courses
Involvement in professional development
considerable and includes learning of
theoretical nature
Work seen as an intuitive activity
Work seen as a rational activity
Restricted Professionality
Extended Professionality
Skills derived from experience
Skills derived from a mediation between
experience and theory
Perspective limited to the immediate in time
and place
Perspective embracing the broader social
context of education
Workplace events perceived in isolation
Workplace events perceived in relation to
policies and goals
Introspective with regard to methods
Methods compared with those of colleagues
and with reports of practice
Value placed on autonomy
Value placed on professional collaboration
Limited involvement in non immediate
professional activities
High involvement in non immediate
professional activities (eg networks, research,
professional associations)
Infrequent reading of professional literature
Regular reading of professional literature
Involvement in professional development
limited and confined to practical courses
Involvement in professional development
considerable and includes learning of
theoretical nature
Work seen as an intuitive activity
Work seen as a rational activity
Restricted Professionality
Extended Professionality
Skills derived from experience
Skills derived from a mediation between
experience and theory
Perspective limited to the immediate in time
and place
Perspective embracing the broader social
context of education
Workplace events perceived in isolation
Workplace events perceived in relation to
policies and goals
Introspective with regard to methods
Methods compared with those of colleagues
and with reports of practice
Value placed on autonomy
Value placed on professional collaboration
Limited involvement in non immediate
professional activities
High involvement in non immediate
professional activities (eg networks, research,
professional associations)
Infrequent reading of professional literature
Regular reading of professional literature
Involvement in professional development
limited and confined to practical courses
Involvement in professional development
considerable and includes learning of
theoretical nature
Work seen as an intuitive activity
Work seen as a rational activity
Restricted Professionality
Extended Professionality
Skills derived from experience
Skills derived from a mediation between
experience and theory
Perspective limited to the immediate in time
and place
Perspective embracing the broader social
context of education
Workplace events perceived in isolation
Workplace events perceived in relation to
policies and goals
Introspective with regard to methods
Methods compared with those of colleagues
and with reports of practice
Value placed on autonomy
Value placed on professional collaboration
Limited involvement in non immediate
professional activities
High involvement in non immediate
professional activities (eg networks, research,
professional associations)
Infrequent reading of professional literature
Regular reading of professional literature
Involvement in professional development
limited and confined to practical courses
Involvement in professional development
considerable and includes learning of
theoretical nature
Work seen as an intuitive activity
Work seen as a rational activity
Restricted Professionality
Extended Professionality
Skills derived from experience
Skills derived from a mediation between
experience and theory
Perspective limited to the immediate in time
and place
Perspective embracing the broader social
context of education
Workplace events perceived in isolation
Workplace events perceived in relation to
policies and goals
Introspective with regard to methods
Methods compared with those of colleagues
and with reports of practice
Value placed on autonomy
Value placed on professional collaboration
Limited involvement in non immediate
professional activities
High involvement in non immediate
professional activities (eg networks, research,
professional associations)
Infrequent reading of professional literature
Regular reading of professional literature
Involvement in professional development
limited and confined to practical courses
Involvement in professional development
considerable and includes learning of
theoretical nature
Work seen as an intuitive activity
Work seen as a rational activity
Restricted Professionality
Extended Professionality
Skills derived from experience
Skills derived from a mediation between
experience and theory
Perspective limited to the immediate in time
and place
Perspective embracing the broader social
context of education
Workplace events perceived in isolation
Workplace events perceived in relation to
policies and goals
Introspective with regard to methods
Methods compared with those of colleagues
and with reports of practice
Value placed on autonomy
Value placed on professional collaboration
Limited involvement in non immediate
professional activities
High involvement in non immediate
professional activities (eg networks, research,
professional associations)
Infrequent reading of professional literature
Regular reading of professional literature
Involvement in professional development
limited and confined to practical courses
Involvement in professional development
considerable and includes learning of
theoretical nature
Work seen as an intuitive activity
Work seen as a rational activity
Restricted Professionality
Extended Professionality
Skills derived from experience
Skills derived from a mediation between
experience and theory
Perspective limited to the immediate in time
and place
Perspective embracing the broader social
context of education
Workplace events perceived in isolation
Workplace events perceived in relation to
policies and goals
Introspective with regard to methods
Methods compared with those of colleagues
and with reports of practice
Value placed on autonomy
Value placed on professional collaboration
Limited involvement in non immediate
professional activities
High involvement in non immediate
professional activities (eg networks, research,
professional associations)
Infrequent reading of professional literature
Regular reading of professional literature
Involvement in professional development
limited and confined to practical courses
Involvement in professional development
considerable and includes learning of
theoretical nature
Work seen as an intuitive activity
Work seen as a rational activity
Restricted Professionality
Extended Professionality
Skills derived from experience
Skills derived from a mediation between
experience and theory
Perspective limited to the immediate in time
and place
Perspective embracing the broader social
context of education
Workplace events perceived in isolation
Workplace events perceived in relation to
policies and goals
Introspective with regard to methods
Methods compared with those of colleagues
and with reports of practice
Value placed on autonomy
Value placed on professional collaboration
Limited involvement in non immediate
professional activities
High involvement in non immediate
professional activities (eg networks, research,
professional associations)
Infrequent reading of professional literature
Regular reading of professional literature
Involvement in professional development
limited and confined to practical courses
Involvement in professional development
considerable and includes learning of
theoretical nature
Work seen as an intuitive activity
Work seen as a rational activity
Restricted Professionality
Extended Professionality
Skills derived from experience
Skills derived from a mediation between
experience and theory
Perspective limited to the immediate in time
and place
Perspective embracing the broader social
context of education
Workplace events perceived in isolation
Workplace events perceived in relation to
policies and goals
Introspective with regard to methods
Methods compared with those of colleagues
and with reports of practice
Value placed on autonomy
Value placed on professional collaboration
Limited involvement in non immediate
professional activities
High involvement in non immediate
professional activities (eg networks, research,
professional associations)
Infrequent reading of professional literature
Regular reading of professional literature
Involvement in professional development
limited and confined to practical courses
Involvement in professional development
considerable and includes learning of
theoretical nature
Work seen as an intuitive activity
Work seen as a rational activity
Restricted Professionality
Extended Professionality
Skills derived from experience
Skills derived from a mediation between
experience and theory
Perspective limited to the immediate in time
and place
Perspective embracing the broader social
context of education
Workplace events perceived in isolation
Workplace events perceived in relation to
policies and goals
Introspective with regard to methods
Methods compared with those of colleagues
and with reports of practice
Value placed on autonomy
Value placed on professional collaboration
Limited involvement in non immediate
professional activities
High involvement in non immediate
professional activities (eg networks, research,
professional associations)
Infrequent reading of professional literature
Regular reading of professional literature
Involvement in professional development
limited and confined to practical courses
Involvement in professional development
considerable and includes learning of
theoretical nature
Work seen as an intuitive activity
Work seen as a rational activity
Where do you stand on Hoyle’s
continuum?
Restricted
Extended
Hoyle, Hoyle & John
The extended form of professionality which
goes beyond classroom skills to a wider
range of knowledge and skills is seen as
important.
They identified three major problems in
acquiring this wider range
Problems?
Time
Teachers tend to obtain job satisfaction from
classroom activities, with relatively little interest in
educational theory/research. Question of how far
they can gain further satisfaction and feel
comfortable in challenging situation of extended
professionality.
Perception that extended professionality achieved
at expense of effective restricted professionality –
career orientation rather than expertise in teaching
situation
Is there an answer?
Mastery of
theoretical
knowledge
Capacity to
solve
problems
Enthusiasm
and
commitment to
stakeholders
PROFESSIONAL
COMPETANCIES
Applying
theoretical
knowledge
to practice
Commitment
to continuous
learning
Ability to create
knowledge as
well as possess
it
http://fashion-incubator.com/archive/howto-move-up-to-another-level
Problem
The teaching profession suffers from a vicious circle of low
status, lack of competitive resources, inability to control
their own selection, training and qualification, divided and
consequently ineffective organisation and a degree of state
interference and control suffered by almost no other
profession all leading to low bargaining power, low
remuneration and low status.
(Perkin,1985)
References
Collins English Dictionary (7th Edition:2005) Harper Collins: Glasgow.
Holroyd, C. (2000) Are assessors professional? Active Learning in Higher Education, 1(1), 28-44.
Hoyle, E. (1974) ‘Professionality, professionalism and control in teaching’. London Educational
Review,3 (2), Summer 1974, pp.13-19
Hoyle, E. & John, P, D. (1995) Professional Knowledge and Professional Practice, Cassell: London
Millerson, G. (1964) The qualifying associations: a study in professionalization, Routledge & Kegan
Paul: London.
Perkin, H. (1985) The Teaching Profession and the Game of Life. In P. Gordon (1985) Is Teaching a
Profession? University of London, Institute of Education, 12–25.
Sockett, H. (1985) Towards a Professional Code in Teaching. In P. Gordon (1985) Is Teaching a
Profession? University of London, Institute of Education, 26-43.
Warrior, R. (2002) Reflections of an Education Professional. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and
Tourism. (1):2, 57 – 63.