The impact of instructional style on the development of professional characteristics

First-year subjects were rated according to Basil Bernstein's concepts as to the degree of classification and framing they involved. Students were then asked to rate the degree to which each subject encouraged, discouraged or neither encouraged nor discouraged cognitive, interpersonal and professional skills. It was found that subjects which were strongly classified and framed only encouraged skills required for factual recall. Weakly classified and framed subjects failed to encourage these skills but encouraged self-educative, interpersonal and professional skills. It was concluded that changing either the type or quantity of content in a curriculum will not effect the acquisition of these latter skills. Teaching styles and curriculum structure must also be amended.