Continuing education in professional psychology: Exploring the translation of learning into practice.

Abstract

Continuing education (CE) is designed to support the ongoing education, training, and competence of professional psychologists. Little is known, however, about the specific variables that contribute most to levels of learning or the translation of that learning into actual practice. To explore these issues, a quasiexperimental posttest-only study was conducted with 294 mental health professionals from the 2019 American Psychological Association (APA) convention who completed various CE sessions and workshops. The participants were surveyed 2 months after they completed their CE experiences to assess the extent of their perceived learning and the translation of that learning into practice. MANOVAs, ANOVAs, MANCOVAs, and bivariate correlations were used to explore relationships among CE variables and outcomes of interest. Results demonstrated that, in comparison to shorter CE experiences (1-2 hr), longer CE trainings (half day or full day) and more experiential methods of instruction were viewed as generating higher levels of learning and the translation of that learning into subsequent practice. Additionally, participants who reported experiencing a greater range of instructional methods also reported significantly higher levels of overall learning and subsequent practice applications. Implications and recommendations are discussed in support of enhancing and ensuring the effectiveness of CE programs and maintaining ongoing professional competence. Public Significance StatementThis study examines the characteristics of continuing education (CE) programs (e.g., duration, number, and type of instructional methods) related to greater rates of learning and subsequent practice applications. Results suggest that psychologists may benefit from seeking longer CE workshops that provide the opportunity for more substantive training, learning experiences that involve multiple teaching modalities (e.g., case illustrations, clinical exercises, role plays), and CE experiences that focus on more experiential, rather than didactic, learning.

Evidence for continuing professional development standards for regulated health practitioners in Australia: a systematic review

“…[ 57 ] United States Nurses N = 67 participants RQ 6—scope of practice Low Cross-sectional Buttars et al . [ 36 ] United States Psychologists N = 294 participants RQ 2—type of CPD Low Fairs [ 53 ] New Zealand Osteopaths N = 303 participants RQ 6—scope of practice Medium Novakovitch [ 41 ] United States Nurses N = 10 webinars RQ 4—accreditation Low Salinas et al . [ 29 ] United States Medical practitioners N = 605 CME activities RQ 2—type of CPD Low Narrative review Atesok et al .…”

“…Finally, a low quality cross-sectional study of psychologists 2 months after attending the American Psychology Association’s 2019 continuing education sessions and workshops found that longer CPD sessions (half to full day) and experiential approaches to instruction led to improved knowledge and translation of learning into practice compared to short CPD sessions (1–2 h) [ 36 ].…”

“…The systematic review also identified two medium quality systematic reviews and a low quality cross-sectional Main and Anderson Human Resources for Health (2023) 21:23 study that provide further insights into the efficacy of different types of CPD [34][35][36]. The first systematic review found that nurses have a strong preference for CPD in the workplace [34].…”

Knowledge translation and the untapped resource: Exploring the value of a community of practice for mental performance consultants.

“…Some challenges of pursuing learning in niche areas include the identification of formal learning opportunities, an increased responsibility on the practitioner to sift through substantial amounts of evolving literature, and a necessity for longer and ongoing learning engagements to develop necessary competencies (Buttars et al, 2021; Cotterill & Keegan, 2020). One possible method of building competencies and supporting practitioners’ lifelong learning is to leverage communities of practice (CoPs).…”

Leveling the practice field for youth mental health: Institution-supported training in evidence-based practice for clinicians.

“…Furthermore, one-time workshops are typically not enough to ensure that clinicians acquire knowledge that translates to EBP that is implemented with fidelity (Frank et al, 2020; McHugh & Barlow, 2010). Didactic, one-time workshops, the most common form of continuing education in psychology and related disciplines, may lead to an increase in knowledge, but is not sufficient to change clinical practice (Buttars et al, 2021). Ongoing contact with instructors of EBP and the opportunity to practice therapeutic strategies using a modular approach are promising strategies to improve the sustainability of EBPs (Beidas et al, 2011).…”