In this book, our focus is on the development of professional practice capabilities, particularly in workplace contexts. This book builds on the idea of workplace learning spaces being like crucibles in which many human, material and ephemeral factors are brought together through interactive exchanges of purpose and energy. Professional practice is presented as a dynamic and experiential phenomenon that is embedded in practice contexts, embodied in and transformed through individual performances. It is grounded in the ethical aim of doing good for others. From this interpretation of professional practice, we have identified capability as a human phenomenon, a state of being, characterised by readiness, confidence and capacity to act soundly in life and work. Capability for professional practice comprises qualities (e.g. integrity, empathy and ethical courage), judgement and potential to act ethically in uncertain, unfamiliar and dynamic contexts. The term capability highlights the importance of developing individuals ready to act, and, in the case of professional practices, ready to act for the good of others in situations where uncertainty is ever present and humanity is central.
A Crucible Model for Professional Development is presented and explored as a means for better understanding professional development and workplace learning as spaces for learning for professional practice. The crucible model contributes significantly to the understanding of professional practice capabilities and the development of those capabilities in clinical education contexts. The power and potential for such learning spaces resembles the power of the apparently simple bowl or crucible. However, when combined with the fire of enthusiasm for learning and teaching, and the rich learning resources and opportunities these settings can provide, the resultant catalytic reactions of professional growth and development can be rewarding and outstanding.
Throughout this book, consideration of the Crucible Model for Professional Development generates implications and recommendations for workplace learning and capability development for professional practitioners (both in their discipline-specific and education practices). The power of the Model to inform holistic development of students and workplace learning educators stems in part from its simultaneous consideration of the capabilities underpinning professional practice and learning. This book is addressed to learners, academics, workplace learning educators and supervisors, and practitioners, along with those with the power to shape the future direction of workplace learning for professional practice.
We invite you as readers of this book to consider the themes we have presented to reflect on your own experiences (whether as a workplace learning educator/supervisor, academic educator, student undertaking workplace learning or a practitioner seeking to enhance your own capability development) to re-imagine workplace learning pedagogy and in this way, harness the potency of workplace learning experiences to develop professional practitioners capable of flourishing in and constructively contributing to 21st century professional practice contexts.