Changing practices of Suitability Assessment in a Norwegian Education Dental Programme

Abstract

A profound responsibility of higher education is to educate and certify adequately candidates for professional work. However, there are signs indicating that many Norwegian professional programmes fail in this responsibility. In this article, we present and analyse a process of change in a five-year dental education programme at a Norwegian university that had the aim of developing more reliable certification practices through improving their suitability assessment practices. Whatever motivates a need for change, a change of practices in higher education is far from a simple process. By using Kotter's eight-step change model in a retrospective analysis of the change process, we identified the impetus for change, strategies taken, and their strengths and weaknesses. The analysis demonstrates how research on staff and student knowledge of, and experiences with, the suitability assessment at their Faculty, created a research mindset that promoted change, while also indicating the promise of working with academic development over time in order to create change. While there is still a way to go, the Faculty of Dentistry is definitely on its way to improving the quality of suitability assessment, and meeting their responsibility for educating and certifying their candidates' adequacy for professional practice.

Suitability assessments in teacher education during and post the COVID-19 pandemic – an impact on professional development

“…A case study revealed how to implement a template to support students in becoming professionally suitable (Solbrekke and Moystad, 2022). Educators in practicum and at campus had close collaboration and gradually changed their assessment practices by using systematic evaluation of the students.…”

“…The purpose of mentoring in teacher education is to facilitate the PTs' learning and development thus mentors play a significant role in shaping the PT's professional identity (Hvalby and Thortveit, 2022). Developing suitability involves the ability or willingness to change behavior and attitude related to the profession (Solbrekke and Moystad, 2022), and an example is to obtain self-insight related to future professional role. This process is part of professional development and through mentoring the PTs practice reflecting and thinking critically when they analyze their actions (Carroll, 2010;Rankine, 2018).…”

“…However, suitability assessment is a shared responsibility in teacher education, and a closer cooperation between the teacher educators in the field of practice and at campus is required. Thus, there is a call for changing suitability assessment practices in several professional programs to emphasize this responsibility competently (Solbrekke and Moystad, 2022).…”

“…A criterion frequently used in the assessments was §3 f) in the regulations (Ministry of Education and Research, 2006) regarding PTs' lack of self-insight related to their future professional role. The process of becoming suitable for the profession involves professional development including suitable attitude (Solbrekke and Moystad, 2022). Hence, developing self-insight may be a continuum related to each students' professional development.…”

“…The process of growing suitability includes professional development (Solbrekke and Moystad, 2022), and the potential progress involves changing behavior and attitude related to the profession through mentoring. Mentors in the teacher practicum are significant in these processes, sharing professional advice and giving the PTs feedback involving the requirement of suitable behavior.…”