Focusing on the Place Model for Optometrists
Optometry and Vision Sciences Research Group, School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland, UK
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Educ. Sci. 2019, 9(3), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030193
Received: 7 June 2019
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Revised: 25 June 2019
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Accepted: 18 July 2019
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Published: 22 July 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education for the Professions in Times of Change )
Background: The Place Model was developed in order to conceptualize the various roles and career pathways of the teaching profession. It can be used to evaluate long-term professional career trajectories and to encourage the student-teacher to visualize their future personal and professional development. Methods: In the present study, the Place Model has been applied to the Optometric profession. The four categories of the place model have been discussed in terms of Optometry and a survey of undergraduate Optometrists highlights the perception of the model amongst pre-qualified professionals. Results: The majority of participants placed qualified optometrists in the Professional area on the Place Model (87%, n = 88) with the remainder placing qualified optometrists in the De-Professional area on the Place Model (13%, n = 13). There was no statistically significant difference between responses from male and female participants (t-test, p = 0.38). There was also no statistically significant difference between responses from participants in year 1, 2 or 3 of their undergraduate program (one-way analysis of variance [ANOVA], p = 0.10). Conclusion: The Place Model may be an opportunity to discuss with Optometry students their future career pathways and to ensure that we maintain a highly skilled and caring profession that provides high quality eyecare for the public.
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Keywords:
Optometry; Place Model; professional; education
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MDPI and ACS Style
McClelland, J.F.; Breslin, K. Focusing on the Place Model for Optometrists. Educ. Sci. 2019, 9, 193. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030193
AMA Style
McClelland JF, Breslin K. Focusing on the Place Model for Optometrists. Education Sciences. 2019; 9(3):193. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030193
Chicago/Turabian StyleMcClelland, Julie F, and Karen Breslin. 2019. "Focusing on the Place Model for Optometrists" Education Sciences 9, no. 3: 193. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9030193
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