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Reviews a range of theories, concepts and learning approaches that are relevant to the development of professionals. Goes on to take a look at how professionals actually learn, once they are in practice. The latter is based on empirical research conducted across 20 professions. Reports on the range of experiences and events that practitioners had found particularly formative in helping them become fully competent professionals; this point often not having been reached until long after their formal professional training had ended. An attempt is made to relate the formative experiences reported to particular theoretical approaches to learning. The experiences are classified into a number of general kinds of “learning mechanism” and these are placed within a “taxonomy of informal professional learning methods”. The results of the research should be of use both to professional developers and to individual professionals. They should assist developers in their planning of placements or post‐formal training. They should help individual professionals to maximise their professional learning, by seeking out particular kinds of experience and making the most of those that come their way.

In an earlier article, published in 1996, the authors described a provisional model of professional competence which attempted to harmonise the “reflective practitioner” paradigm (developed by Schön and now espoused by many professional education programmes) with competence‐based approaches. The latter included both the “functional outcomes” approach and the “personal competence” approach. Views on the composite model were sought from readers of this journal. The model was also tested as part of a programme of empirical work across 20 different professions. This paper offers a revised version of the model which takes account of the suggestions made by a significant number of respondents, as well as observations from the empirical work.

There is much agreement in the literature that reflection on practice is critically important for the full development and ongoing learning of professionals. The methods of reflection on professional practice reported to date have been developed primarily in the context of professional education in group settings led by a tutor. Research is underway into ways in which managers can be developed as learning facilitators in the workplace. However, there are increasing limitations on the significance of this approach to the continuing development of professionals. The research reported here shows that in‐depth research interviews with professionals to investigate their work and learning can play an important part in supporting their reflection in‐depth on their practice. An analysis of the processes involved, and the characteristics of the three research interviewers involved, indicates that human resource development professionals could be trained for the role of learning facilitators of professionals through 1:1 discourse in the form of in‐depth interviews.

Focuses on the nature of professional practice based on research conducted with practitioners via interviews and questionnaires. Aims to determine how practitioners actually tackle professional problem solving. Discusses reflection, specialised knowledge and repertoires of solutions, among other factors, and examines differences in professional practice according to age, gender and membership of various professions. Finds that although specialist knowledge is crucial to successful practice, improvisation is a key factor. Suggests that a combination of applied knowledge and reflection is important in professional practice.

The effect of tin, copper, nickel and molybdenum on the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of sintered stainless steel (AISI304L). The industrial use of sintered stainless steel is restricted by the poor corrosion resistance of the materials in comparison with the wrought counterpart. It has been shown in the literature that the addition of tin and copper can bring about improvements in the corrosion performance of certain alloys and this paper reports a systematic study of the use of these and other alloying additions. In this work, elemental additions of Sn, Cu, Ni and Mo singly and in combinations were made to 304L stainless steel powder. The mechanical properties and corrosion resistance to salt spray and immersion in saline solution of the sintered compacts have been measured and compared with samples made from 316L powder and wrought stainless steel. It was found that 304L containing additions of either 2% Sn or 2% Ni + 2% Cu + 1% Sn had the most improved corrosion resistance but with some loss of strength following sintering under conditions suitable for 304L powder. Increasing' the sintering time of the alloys with elemental additions from 45 minutes to two hours at 1180°C increased the strengths of the compacts to the same level as 304L and 316L while retaining the improved resistance to corrosion. ITRI Publication No. 650, is by S. K. Chatterjee, M. E. Warwick, and D. J. Maykuth, and is available from ITRI, Fraser Road, Perivale, Greenford, Middx UB6 7AQ.

Describes a model of professional competence which attempts to bring together a number of apparently disparate views of competence, including the “outcomes” approach, a key feature of UK National Vocational Qualifications, and the “reflective practitioner” approach, suggested by Schon and now well recognized within professional education programmes.