Paper
Reflection on professional helping quality
- issue: Issue 1 / 2009
- authors: Trijntje Roggen
- keywords: metalevel, professionalism, The Netherlands
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abstract
Purpose. Research questions are:
- How can we make the concept of metalevel operational for the helping practice?
- Can we develop a normative model to do so?
- Can we found a reflexive protocol based on this model?
Method and design. The method is theoretical (analyzing the quality of the helping relationship) and qualitative, in order to offer a metamodel of professionalism and develop a critical reflexive protocol. The design is exploratory with the aim to create a significant framework for practitioners in the helping field. The sample consists of practising behavioural scientists (practical experts) and the method of data collection consists of questionnaire to practitioners.
Summary. Towards a metalevel of professional helping quality, a model of professionalism. My concept of professionalism deals with the challenge how to increase the metaqualities of the 'orthopedagogue'. The professional abilities of the scientifically trained orthopedagogue are, in general, taken for granted. Really crucial for this scientific attitude is the competence of the professional helper to function at a metalevel. This metalevel aspect of the professional ability, however, momentarily is seriously lacking. It is true that, both in the practical and in the theoretical discourse, the following question is at stake: which criteria have to be met by professional helpers? Concepts like 'organization' and 'management' play an important role in this debate. Moreover, requirements have been phrased in the area of professionalism as regards content and client centeredness of the helper. It seems that consensus exists regarding the idea of optimalization of the help offered, in such a way that the offer really meets the demands and the needs of the client. Practical research however, has shown that this connection between offer and demand often is incomplete or even absent. My main thesis is that this problem can be met by improving the metalevel of the professional helpers. It may be evident that this 'professionalism by taking distance' is a necessary dimension of professional help. First of all, this concerns the expertise of the helper to interpret the demands (narratives) of clients adequately. Second, throughout the helping process, critical reflection is required on (the effects of) the helpers actions. Such reflection on the professional ethics and professional attitude of the practitioner, only slowly follows the theoretical development as regards content. This fundamental attitude, now, can be operationalised by defining the ability to communicate at a metalevel, to be a professional criterion. I am convinced that people, being actors, do reflect on their activities. By means of this reflection, they are able to give meaningful content to their life. We must take our helping responsability seriously by reinforcing these reflexive actions. This leads to an ongoing increase of metacommunicative competence of both professionals and clients. My proposal to consider professionalism as an option for metalevel communication, has consequences for the teaching and training of the pedagogue and any professional helper. Also in practice, consequences of this choice will be felt. I mention e.g. the way in which team-conversations at institutions take place. Prejudice and selfevidence ought to be tested and earlier choices reconsidered if necessary. This requires an open state of mind, and often enough, a change of culture. This is why normative protocols have to be developed (Trijntje Roggen, 2004, 2006).
By cutting of expenses in social and medical care, as well as by a reverse proportional increment in the complexity of problems that confront the orthopedagogue, help seems to have become a matter of checking what is still possible to do instead of doing what has to be done. Particularly in the direct tasks of practitioners this may lead to burn-out phenomena. In the perspective of 'toaster care' and Procrust it may well seem to be a paradoxical luxury to reflect on professionality and basic attitudes. This paper, however, has been especially written to offer practitioners a foothold while reflecting on their actions; it is meant to serve as a help for them. The research aim of this study is the formulation of a protocol for critical reflection on the quality of communication. The 'stratification' in the orthopedagogic help, which always involves at least three actors, all having their own narrative, requires a high level of professionalism. Since help is no noncommittal matter, the orthopedagogue in his work will maintain a number of principles that form a professional norm. The significance of this normative professionalism for the orthopedagogue is the central research issue of this study. We have aimed to show that the concept of metalevel can be functional for helping practice, since it offers an instrument to reflect on the quality of communication. Knowledge and expertise with regard to contents and substance are presupposed and the present treatment, accordingly, focuses on the how of the encounter of helper and client.
At first I state explicitly my research problem and describe my conception of professionalism. In this conception, reflexivity is a crucial concept. Advancement and strengthening of this reflexivity therefore is one of the aims of this research.
Then, arguments are given for a revision of the definition of the object of orthopedagogics as a consequence of the reflexive point of view taken earlier. In this object definition the dimension of communication between professional pedagogue, educators and child is central. If a helper wishes to make meaningful statements about this communication, he should possess metacommunicative competences. In the subsequent text the concept of meta level is further grounded.
We can present a number of relevant anthropological theories, in which we describe how people deal with social reality. Attention is given to the tension that exists between the individual actor and the collective moral of professional care. Also it is noted that, due to differences in structuring of reality, conflicts may arise between (groups of) people. From the anthropological principles selected before, it follows that we wish to view every individual as a competent actor, thereby stressing the acting competence of the individual. This will be emphasized, as we discuss a number of relevant action-theoretical principles. Moreover we note that the requirement of reflexive qualities for professional helpers should hold just as well for scientific researchers in these fields. In a meta-model my vision on Professionalism is visualized.
The link with the practice of professional care is elaborated further, by indicating how the functionality of metalevel and metacommunication, for instance, with regards to professional care in family problems. Here we identify the notion of interpunction as a relevant construct in the understanding of problems in communication. Attention must be given to some visions on coaching & management and their implications for professional counselling. This also is relevant when we examine the efficiency and decision-making of teams. Eventually I present a protocol of reflexivity as I have prepared in the previous lines. This professional document contains normative criteria, founded in anthropological principles coupled to communication theoretical principles. Hereby the abstract metalevel becomes operational. Subsequently I have formulated a number of questions directed at practitioners that are the forum to question the amount of recognition of my proposal.
In short we describe the results of this field research. We mention the visions of the practitioners on professionalism by their anthropological view, their vision on structuring, their opinions on acting and competences of humans as well as by their ideas on basic attitude, professional ethics and on professional responsibility. One important result of this field research concerns our aim, the advancement of the reflection on the professional acting of helpers: it turns out that the intention of all respondents points at the motivation and wish to be a conscientious and critical helper and to be careful in the communication with clients. All are clearly prepared to increase there professionalism in this respect by intervision and training. Lack of time and cutting of expenses until now have formed barriers against these tendencies. It seems very important to look for ways to make their practical expertise and evidence more systemized and functional.
Professionals on the shopfloor appreciate the provided action-space and opportunity to reflect on a metalevel together with their executive on and in their actions. The role of the executive can then shift more from expert knowledge to coaching and listening. Professionals need more contact with their coach so they can stay sharp and develop their professional critical self-reflection. This reflection can also be helpful to consolidate internal conversations of practitioners, broaden their communicative repertoire and so prevent gratuitous behaviour. Moreover they expressed the necessity of the moderating art (by humour and flexibility!). Professionals both as executives advocated a non-rigid way of dealing with the critical reflexive protocol as such (Roggen & Attema, 2006).
As a suggestion for further research a lance is broken for a more thorough investigation in the counselling and coaching of professionals and further research for possibilities to apply and fine tune the reflexivity protocol (Roggen, 2008) as hereby developed. Interesting angles of incidence now also are the impact of solution focused methods and common-factors theory.
This study means to form a contribution to the discussion on professionalism in youth care, as this has become recently actual once again.
Key references
Roggen, T. (2004, 2006), Omgangskwaliteit voor Orthopedagogen, Pleidooi voor een Normatieve Professionaliteit, Utrecht: Agiel.
Roggen, T.and Attema, F. (2006), Professionaliteit voor beroepsopvoeders, Groningen University, internal publication.
Roggen, T. (2008), Professionalism on a metalevel: a normative protocol for critical reflection (Groningen/Padova, handout congress).
Contact: Trijntje Roggen, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Department of Special Education and Youth Care, at the University of Groningen, Holland, Grote Rozenstraat 38, 9712 TJ Groningen, Holland, E-mail: t.roggen@rug.nl, Phone +31503636581.