Search results

There is much published research about teachers' organisational stress but relatively little about the effect of the coping resources brought to bear to counter or reduce the effects of occupational stress. This study examines two major issues: which personal resource variables most frugally predict various measures of vocational teacher strain and secondly, whether gender and age differences have a moderating effect on the significance, contribution and relationship between these variables. The stress, strain and personal resource strengths of a group of 256 vocational teachers were examined. The teachers completed the standardised Occupational Stress Inventory (OSI), which enables measures of organisational stress, strain and coping resource strength. Sub-groups were formed on the basis of gender and age and the resultant sample data examined. The results showed a significant negative relationship between some of the personal sub-scale measures of the OSI and some measures of occupational strain. The nature of the relationship, however, differed considerably, both qualitatively and quantitatively, depending on gender, age and each particular measure of strain. The outcomes indicate that both gender and age play a moderating role in the relationship between the efficacy of personal resources and teacher strain. The results have implications for how stress is handled in the workplace.

This paper focuses on the quality of vocational learning from the perspective of the learner which is in contrast to the traditional quality-assurance approach measured primarily by outcomes. It highlights the specific problems of delivering vocational education and training (VET) in rural and remote Australia through a discussion and analysis of three main influencing factors: the quality and professional development of educators and workplace trainers, literacy and numeracy as inhibitors of quality learning and the nature and quality of training packages. Data are drawn from a major study based on interviews with training providers, employers, community organisation representatives and learners. The data were analysed thematically and then measured against a set of quality assurance requirements devised specifically for apprentices/trainees: vocational learner checkpoints (VCLs). It was found that the data reflect many of the problems identified and addressed by the VCLs. Issues have emerged, however, relating to thin markets and flexible delivery in rural and remote Australia which still need to be specifically addressed in quality assurance standards.

This paper presents the findings of process oriented research into the experience of 18 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) when deciding to participate with new apprenticeships for the first time. The focus of this work is to explain how and why contextual conditions and processual elements interacted to influence owner-managers to adopt or reject new apprenticeships. The paper also describes in detail methodological issues encountered when analysing interview data and how these issues were resolved by application of grounded-theory techniques allied with other qualitative techniques. The findings provide insights for policy and practice, detailing the organisational decision-making associated with new apprenticeships under certain circumstances and how these might be assessed and managed.

This small-scale, qualitative study focuses on the perceptions and beliefs of vocational teachers in England about the nature of expertise in teaching. Analysis of data collected from interviews with 12 experienced teachers showed that the respondents believed that much of their professional knowledge as teachers was tacit. Furthermore, they placed emphasis on practical, realistic, student-centred strategies as characteristics of good teaching. It is argued that teachers may have been influenced by the way they themselves acquired work-related knowledge in their first occupations, although without direct observation of their practice it is impossible to confirm this. Respondents also believed that there were significant differences in perceptions of teaching expertise between academic and vocational teachers and that teaching expertise was not widely valued. These findings have implications for the training of further education teachers and for the management of colleges.