All Ireland Society for Higher Education

AISHE Inaugural Conference 2004

Thursday 2^nd & Friday 3^rd September 2004

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[Conference Programme]

Concepts of professionalism in alumni comments on teaching excellence at University of Limerick"

Principle Proposer

Additional Proposer(s) (if any)

Kuol, Nyel, Nyel.kuol@ul.ie

Abstract (Words: 177; Format: paper )

The New Professionalism in Higher Education challenges older and
unquestioned concepts of professionalism. The liberal professions
no longer provide the model of classical professionalism for
academics in meeting changes in the range of responsibilities
that constitute academic practice. This paper attempts to find
how students' views of the nature of teaching excellence convey a
sense of their construct of professionalism among academics.

Goodson and Hargreaves (1996) identify seven principles of a new
professionalism for teachers that they term 'postmodern'. These
are discretionary judgement; moral and social purpose;
collaboration; heteronomy; active care; continuous learning and
complexity.

In an examination of the comments of 142 respondents to an alumni
survey of graduates of University of Limerick, the text of
responses to open-ended items in the questionnaire is analysed.
The constructs of professionalism that underlie the statements
are mapped against the Goodson and Hargreaves model, in
particular as they relate to the teaching role .

Discussion considers how the research, writing and administration
components of academics' professional responsibilities relate to
the ideal concepts of teaching from the alumni perspective.

(Abstract ref: #41.)

[Conference Programme]