Exploring student and educator perspectives and experiences on professionalism in undergraduate science programs

Developing professional competencies is essential for fostering the attitudes and skills necessary for professional development (George, 2017; Oliver & Collins, 2024). Professional development involves internalizing mental frameworks, skills, and the social norms of a given field, forming a professional identity (Hofstede et al., 2010). Current literature highlights the importance of promoting professional identities in post-undergraduate education; however, there is a significant gap in understanding how undergraduate science students develop their professional identities. Establishing core competencies during this formative stage contributes to the development of a positive professional identity, ultimately preparing students to navigate their academics and future professions. This presentation will showcase theories on professionalism for higher education and examine their relevance in shaping professional identities. Participants will be invited to share their attitudes and beliefs about teaching professionalism in education across undergraduate disciplines. The audience will be asked to share their experiences, challenges, and strategies related to teaching and assessing professionalism through the following guided prompts. Should professionalism be taught at the undergraduate level? What are some ways we can teach students to internalize professionalism? How can we assess students' professional growth? This session aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and the results of the discussions will inform the presenter’s Master of Science project. References George, Z. (2017). Definition of professionalism by different groups of health care students. Educational Research and Reviews, 12(7), 380–386. https://doi.org/10.5897/ERR2017.3132 Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind: intercultural cooperation and its importance for survival (Revised and expanded third edition). McGraw-Hill. Oliver, S. W., & Collins, K. (2024). The hidden professionalism curriculum: Teach it, see it, do it and repeat! MedEdPublish, 14, 39. https://doi.org/10.12688/mep.20276.1