Students demonstrate the Act Professionally Core Ability by:
| Act Professionally: | Course List | Rubric |
Creasy, K. L. (2015). Defining professionalism in teacher education programs. Journal of Education & Social Policy, 2(2), 23-25. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED563997.pdf
This source describes the importance and challenge of defining and teaching professionalism using the example of the discipline of teacher education. It reinforces that building professional skills is important to student success. It should not be assumed that students will just naturally acquire those critical skills. Precisely what professional behavior is and looks like can be difficult to define, but an example of habits a professional educator should have is provided. Though this source focuses on professionalism in only one discipline, it provides an example of trying to define professional behavior that could be adapted for other disciplines.
Frandzel, S. (n.d.). Teaching professionalism. Emory University Center for Faculty Development and Excellence. https://cfde.emory.edu/resources/teaching-pedagogy/professionalism.html
This article summarizes important points from an Emory University panel discussion about how and why to teach professionalism in the college classroom that involved examples from several disciplines. Providing definitions or descriptions of professional behavior is beneficial, but equipping students to understand how to decide for themselves what is proper and why is more useful. Examples are given of professional and unprofessional behavior, and of common quandaries of professionalism faced in various disciplines. Evaluating professionalism can be difficult; some tactics and pitfalls are discussed. Overall, this work reinforces the importance of teaching professionalism in the classroom and of doing so in a way that requires students to think about their behavior deeply, rather than merely following a checklist of what is “good” behavior.
Intelligent.com. (2024, September 13). 1 in 6 companies are hesitant to hire recent college graduates. https://www.intelligent.com/1-in-6-companies-are-hesitant-to-hire-recent-college-graduates/
This article presents the results of a survey given to hundreds of hiring managers around the country that asked about their experiences with recent college graduates. The survey results indicate that lacking professional skills was a common problem, often leading to job loss and lower productivity. The lack of professional skills was, in many cases, serious enough to cause many hiring managers to hesitate to hire recent college graduates in the future. This article is applicable to the Core Abilities because it reinforces how important it is that educators encourage college students to build professional skills to prepare them for success in the workforce.
Nelson, N., & Beaupre, J. (2024, May 7). Evaluating professionalism in college courses. Conestoga Faculty Learning Hub. Retrieved from https://tlconestoga.ca/evaluating-professionalism-in-college-courses/
This source is about how to define professional behavior and encourage it in the context of the college classroom. It also includes some ideas and resources, such as sample rubrics and criteria for professionalism. This article is written by Jess Wilkinson, an educational technology consultant at Conestoga College in Ontario, Canada, whose job involves researching and promoting best practices in teaching. Overall, this work reinforces the fact that encouraging students to build professional habits in college is beneficial to students and provides some useful resources and tips on how to teach professionalism.
