Keeping it personal: self-generated learning tools for lifelong professional development

Abstract

Approaches to learning in the twenty-first century need to reflect student diversity in order to widen and sustain participation in education and continuing professional development (CPD). There is some evidence of success in widening access to professional social care employment through training and qualification programmes but a notable lack of success in sustaining this participation into CPD and lifelong professional learning. This paper argues for an increased contribution of more personalised, self-generated learning approaches to sustainable participation through the development of the Professional Identity and Values Organisation Tools (PIVOT). The tools have been developed by the authors from the constructivist teaching and learning insights of Personal Construct Psychology and are freely available to download and use (see below). The intention is to enhance reflection for professional learners and practitioners through self-generated personal constructs and values and the creation of self-directed learning aims. We argue that the inclusion of enhanced reflective techniques such as PIVOT helps to facilitate a deep, personal engagement in the processes of learning to learn and builds a foundation for sustained participation in and ownership of students' and practitioners' CPD and lifelong learning.

Eliciting the True Self: The Effects of Doctoral Education on Students’ Implicit Leadership Theories and Authentic Leader Identity Development

“…Using personal constructs psychology to extend the study of authentic leadership identity development beyond the context of the academy holds promise for improving the efficacy of training and development efforts in a way that could increase return on investment for organizations wishing to enhance their leadership capacity. The recently developed the Professional Identity and Values Organisation Tools (PIVOT), which utilize a personal constructs approach to promoting lifelong professional development, may have utility for advancing the application of PCT to this area of research and practice (Cooper & Pickering, 2010). PIVOT is a suite of repertory grid-based reflexive tools developed by researchers at The Open University’s Centers for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, designed to “help [post-secondary] students critically reflect upon, identify and explore their developing sense of professional identity” by enhancing dialogue with a tutor or mentor (retrieved from: http://www.open.ac.uk/opencetl/pbpl-cetl).…”