Coherence and the development of professional knowledge and skills

Abstract

It can be difficult for students to relate theoretical knowledge and practical skills when making the transition from the classroom to professional practice. The concept of coherence has been suggested as an appropriate way to address how the relationships involved (i.e. between theoretical knowledge and practical skills and between classroom teaching and professional practice) affect the development of professional knowledge and skills. Three types of coherence are addressed in this paper: (1) biographical coherence: pre-enrolment experience; (2) programme coherence: the extent to which the theoretical and practical parts of the curriculum are integrated in teaching and placement, respectively and (3) transitional coherence: the relationship between learning outcomes in education and the first few years as newly qualified professionals. Four professional groups are examined: primary school teachers, preschool teachers, nurses and social workers. Data are drawn from a longitudinal survey in which students answered a questionnaire at the end of their studies and at three years after graduation. Results indicate that all three types of coherence have a significant impact on students’ and newly qualified professionals’ outcomes in terms of theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Moreover, programme coherence is an important factor not only in classroom teaching but also in placement.

Keywords:

• coherence
• knowledge
• skills
• professional education
• professional practice
• longitudinal

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to our colleagues at the Centre for the Study of Professions, especially Ida Katrine Riksaasen Hatlevik and Per Arne Tufte, for their comments and criticisms on earlier versions of this article. The study is part of the qualifying for professional careers (QPC) project funded by the Research Council of Norway.

Notes

1. In our data, significant correlations also exist between teaching quality and student study strategy (Pearson’s r = .21) and between placement quality and student study strategy (Pearson’s r = .14). Moreover, significant correlations exist between teaching coherence and student study strategy (Pearson’s r = .15) and between placement coherence and student study strategy (Pearson’s r = .19).