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"Teaching"

Called for in the 1870s and 1880s as a solution for the "apprenticeship crisis", the introduction of manual activities constituted one of the major elements of the law of 28th March 1882. This legislation introduced manual work as a primary school subject, envisaging it as a "preparation for vocational education" while associating it with scientific teaching. A certain number of institutional, material, and human constraints influenced the organization of this teaching, which was generally identified with woodwork and metalwork and for which the creation of school workshops seemed necessary. Towards the end of the 1880s, the feeling that this was too close to vocational training, especially in elementary levels of primary schools, led to an original didactic formula which kept the preparation for a trade and the related social practices at a distance and diminished the workshop aspects of the subject. Associated with mathematics and drawing, manual work integrated the space and norms of the class, placing the emphasis laid on its educational dimension aiming at facilitating its recognition as a subject in its own right.

Aim: To assess and observe the development of competence in oral surgical skills during a 3-year undergraduate programme. Method: Over a 3-year period 75 students were followed through from the beginning of their clinical course to their Bachelor of Dental Surgery graduation and their surgical experience monitored by the use of logbooks. Their development of competence was assessed objectively through structured assessments and subjectively by a single tutor responsible for each year. Assessments were made of their ability in exodontia, pre-surgical assessment and the surgical extraction of teeth/roots. Results: Seventy-three students completed the course (97%). Successful completion rates for the objective testing were 100% for both exodontia and pre-surgical assessment. The surgical assessment, (surgical extraction of a tooth or root) had a successful completion rate of only 23% and the caseload for students was low with a mean of four teeth removed surgically upon graduation. Relationships were examined between total numbers of teeth extracted, total number of minor oral surgical procedures completed and the successful completion of the surgical competence assessment, but no significant relationships were found. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that it is possible to achieve objectively measurable levels of competence in undergraduates undertaking oral surgery procedures. It is however, a labour and time intensive process and appropriate clinical and teaching resources are required. National co-operation towards agreed standardised competencies should be encouraged to allow data to be pooled and more powerful analyses to occur. © 2007 The Authors. Journal Compilation © 2007 Blackwell Munksgaard.

Background and objective: The case/problem-based learning discussion method was recently introduced into the theory-based training program for residents run by the Catalan Society of Anaesthesiology. This study was designed to assess and compare its effectiveness with that of the lecture-based approach for teaching pre-anaesthetic assessment, applying an objective tool for knowledge evaluation before and after teaching. Methods: A prospective randomized study of two consecutive year groups of first year anaesthesiology residents was conducted. Twenty-nine residents attended a lecture, and 25, a case/problem-based learning discussion session. Their knowledge of pre-anaesthetic assessment was assessed before and after the teaching session with tests on four different clinical cases measuring six fields: (1) 'recognizing clinical data with anaesthetic implications'; (2) 'reasoning clinical data with anaesthetic implications'; (3) 'ASA class'; (4) 'Mallampati class'; (5) 'choice of anaesthetic technique'; (6) 'reasoning choice of anaesthetic technique'. Results: Before the teaching session, the lecture group scored significantly higher on field 1 (P = 0.006). Both teaching methods improved scores on fields 1, 2 and 4. The case/problem group also improved on fields 3 and 6. After the teaching session, the field 1 score was still significantly higher in the lecture group (P = 0.005), and the field 3 score was significantly higher in the case/problem group (P = 0.044). Conclusions: The effectiveness of lecture and case/problem-based learning discussion differed little in terms of improving participants' immediate knowledge of 'pre-anaesthetic assessment'. © 2007 Copyright European Society of Anaesthesiology.

This study explores whether a clinical teaching effectiveness (CTE) instrument provides valid scores for summative faculty assessment. The sample included all CTE instruments (n = 10,087) that learners (N = 1,194) completed to assess clinical teachers (N = 872) during 1 academic year. The authors investigated response processes (e.g., missing data, straight-line responses, level of learner), internal structure (e.g., confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis), teaching ratings by learner group (medical student or resident), and relation to other variables (e.g., correlation with global rating). Response processes identified a high prevalence of straight-line responses (same rating across all items) and differential patterns of missing data by learner group. Medical students rated their teachers higher than residents, and CTE scores had different factor structures depending on learner group. High correlation coefficients of CTE items with a single rating of overall teaching performance suggest that learners consider global performance when assessing clinical teaching performance. © 2007 Sage Publications.

Background: There has been concern that trainees are seldom observed, assessed, and given feedback during their workplace-based education. This has led to an increasing interest in a variety of formative assessment methods that require observation and offer the opportunity for feedback. Aims: To review some of the literature on the efficacy and prevalence of formative feedback, describe the common formative assessment methods, characterize the nature of feedback, examine the effect of faculty development on its quality, and summarize the challenges still faced. Results: The research literature on formative assessment and feedback suggests that it is a powerful means for changing the behaviour of trainees. Several methods for assessing it have been developed and there is preliminary evidence of their reliability and validity. A variety of factors enhance the efficacy of workplace-based assessment including the provision of feedback that is consistent with the needs of the learner and focused on important aspects of the performance. Faculty plays a critical role and successful implementation requires that they receive training. Conclusions: There is a need for formative assessment which offers trainees the opportunity for feedback. Several good methods exist and feedback has been shown to have a major influence on learning. The critical role of faculty is highlighted, as is the need for strategies to enhance their participation and training.

Aims The aims of the study were two fold: to determine the influence of trainer expertise on the Vocational Training (VT) experience, particularly in terms of providing Vocational Dental Practitioners (VDPs) with positive role models; and to ascertain if it is possible to identify attributes of expertise that can signpost a successful path for new/less expert trainers.Participants Thirty-five VDPs and each of their Vocational Trainers participated in the study. All training took place in the South East of England.Design The participants were followed through the 12 months of their VT year. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with both trainers and VDPs on two occasions, during the year and once VT had been completed. It was also possible to observe practice sessions and VT Study Day teaching. The descriptive analysis of the training partnerships has been previously described.1 The original data were revisited through a constant comparative analysis of the interview transcripts and observation notes.Results The influence of training expertise is identified and discussed as is the VDP view of the trainer as a role model. Attributes of training expertise are highlighted and presented as a guiding path for new/inexpert trainers.Conclusion The training expertise of a trainer has a significant influence on the VT experience for both trainer and VDP. Expertise has the potential to be harnessed and used to good effect in VT.

As Technical education strains to find a niche in the educational market place, are teachers suffering from a crisis of confidence? How comfortable are they with the ever-changing curriculum, with the subjects they are teaching and the reasons why they are teaching them? The broadening of the Technical curriculum in secondary schools to include Practical Craft Skills has proved popular with some teachers, while others perceive a drift back to a purely skills based curriculum along with a further deterioration of the status of Technical departments. This paper explores the present state of Technical Education in Scotland through the analysis of an online survey of 95 practising teachers and an investigation of employers' entrance requirements for apprenticeships in the engineering and construction industries. The results indicate a degree of conflict among staff regarding the role of Technical education, coupled with limited recognition for Technical subjects among employers. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.