Cet article éclaire comment une représentation sociale spécifique, la représentation socio-professionnelle, permet d’expliquer le choix de la spécialisation d’étudiants dans l’enseignement supérieur, en dépassant la seule prise en compte de critères sociodémographiques. Pour illustrer notre propos, nous avons investigué la problématique du choix de la filière « rurale » dans l’enseignement vétérinaire français qui fait face à une désaffection marquée depuis de nombreuses années. Les résultats dégagés à la suite d’une enquête quantitative (n = 533) croisant plusieurs méthodologies suggèrent que le cursus d’apprentissage et, en particulier, les stages pourraient jouer un rôle important dans le passage d’une représentation sociale à une représentation professionnelle. Ces résultats remettent en cause la simple prise en compte des critères de recrutement des étudiants et mettent en avant l’importance de l’ingénierie pédagogique dans la construction représentationnelle et les choix de la spécialisation.

(1) Background: The aging of the population, the increase in the incidence of cancer with age, and effective chronic oncological treatments all lead to an increased prevalence of cancer in nursing homes. The aim of the present study was to map the cultural and ethical barriers associated with the treatment of cancer and educational strategies in this setting. (2) Methods: A systematic scoping review was conducted until April 2021 in MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL. All articles assessing continuum of care, paramedical education, and continuing education in the context of older cancer patients in nursing homes were reviewed. (3) Results: A total of 666 articles were analyzed, of which 65 studies were included. Many factors interfering with the decision to investigate and treat, leading to late- or unstaged disease, palliative-oriented care instead of curative, and a higher risk of unjustified transfers to acute care settings, were identified. The educational strategies explored in this context were generally based on training programs. (4) Conclusions: These results will allow the co-construction of educational tools intended to develop knowledge and skills to improve diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making, the consistency of care, and, ultimately, the quality of life of older cancer patients in nursing homes.

Despite a keen interest in clinical research, most paramedical professionals are unwilling to play an active role. Our objective was to explore paramedical professionals’ representations of research. Using an existing database of final year paramedical students (speech therapy, occupational therapy, psychomotricity, audiometry, physiotherapy, orthoptics), we deployed a qualitative approach composed of two successive steps: (1) a free word association task, and (2) semi-structured individual interviews. Out of the 54 students who agreed to be contacted, we received 21 responses to the free word association questionnaire, and 11 interviews were conducted. The hierarchical evocation matrix revealed that the scientific representation of research is based on words defining the research and the purpose of the research. “Collaboration” was identified as being an essential part of the research process. The central core of the representation is coherent with all its components perceived as positive. The content analysis of the interviews showed a polarization around two key points: (1) participants are interested in accessing and using evidence in their practice (2) but feel less confident about and/or motivated to generate evidence themselves. This study highlights the need to develop more research-friendly environments, especially in training institutions.