Continuing professional education: motivations and experiences of health and social care professional’s part-time study in higher education. A qualitative literature review

Objectives:
To understand the motivations and experiences of health and social care professionals undertaking
part-time, accredited, continuing professional education in higher education
Design:
A review following systematic principles
Data Sources: Systematic searches for literature published between January 2000 and December
2015 using the database: SCOPUS, Web of Science, Medline, PsychINFO, Social Policy and Practice
and CINAHL.
Review methods:
Studies were included if they were published in the English language and were qualitative in design,
focussing on the motivations and experiences of staff engaged in part-time, accredited, higher
education study. Three reviewers appraised the quality of the selected studies.
Results:
Thirteen qualitative studies were identified for the review. Motivating factors for staff to engage in
part-time, accredited, continuing professional development study included: personal and
professional drivers, influence of workplace/management and funding and availability. Key themes
in relation to how staff experienced study included: the demands of adjusting to the academic
requirements of higher education study; the experience of juggling competing demands of study,
work and family; and the presence or absence of support for part-time study in the personal and
professional arenas.
Conclusions:
Health and social care professionals experience a number of challenges when engaging in part-time,
continuing professional education in higher education institutions. A significant challenge is the
juggling of competing demands of study, work and family, and this may have a negative impact on
learning. Research is needed to inform how higher education can address the specific learning needs
of this population and develop pedagogic approaches that are both responsive to need and support
of effective learning.