The need for case studies to illustrate quality practice: teaching in higher education to ensure quality of entry level professionals

Professions present themselves as providing a social benefit to society and, reciprocally, the expectation is for the professions to contribute to the accomplishment of important social goals. Specifics about how to define a profession and professionalism have varied over the years and continue to do so. To further add to the complexity, some professions face regulatory compliance issues in the form of licensure or other state-defined requirement(s) to denote the state’s interest in assuring the public of the practitioner’s qualifications and experience as a safeguard to the common well-being. There are different routes toward preparing well-qualified professionals through higher education. These routes are largely determined by decisions academics make regarding content, curriculum alignment, in-class and out-of-class learning experiences, pedagogical techniques, integration of research with practice, and philosophical approaches toward the profession. But the key to effective preparation ultimately rests with the value employers place on the focus, emphasis and balance between the academic and practical in relationship to their own expectations for skills graduates must have to garner their interest