Learning & work: the challenges: legitimate learning

The growing emphasis on the relationship between learning and work raises the question of what is legitimate learning, which is related to the question of what constitutes legitimate knowledge. This question invites consideration of stances taken in the workplace, school, TAFE, adult education, and higher education on the legitimacy of different kinds of knowledge and of the learning that leads to the acquisition of that knowledge. The stances taken in these communities of practice seem to be characterised by enduring value differences. Thus it is important to relate these stances to each other and to the question of values. In this paper, a beginning is made in examining the bases for the legitimacy that is afforded different constructions of knowledge and learning in an attempt to identify the nature of the challenges facing ideas about learning and work.

This was a keynote speech. The conference aimed to explore the themes of curriculum contexts, workplace learning, VET delivery and management, and contemporary issues in VET. The entire collection of publications for this conference consists of three, separately bound keynote speeches (TD/TNC 50.25 to TD/TNC 50.27); four volumes of papers (TD/TNC 50.28 to TD/TNC 50.31); and a conference program, which includes abstracts of all papers (TD/TNC 50.24).

The growing emphasis on the relationship between learning and work raises the question of what is legitimate learning, which is related to the question of what constitutes legitimate knowledge. This question invites consideration of stances taken in the workplace, school, TAFE, adult education, and higher education on the legitimacy of different kinds of knowledge and of the learning that leads to the acquisition of that knowledge. The stances taken in these communities of practice seem to be characterised by enduring value differences. Thus it is important to relate these stances to ...  [+] Show more