Search Results

There is a growing interest in practice-based learning in countries with both advanced and developing economies. Much of this interest is directed towards augmenting students' learning within vocational or higher education programmes of initial occupational preparation or those for professional development (i.e. further development of occupational knowledge across working life). The worth of contributions from practice settings and experiences with authentic instances of occupational practice, of course, has been long acknowledged in the major professions and trades. Indeed, most trades and professions have a requirement for individuals to engage in an extensive period of practice prior to being accepted as a tradesperson or professional. So there is now a growing interest in occupationally specific higher education programmes providing these kinds of experiences for novice practitioners. However, beyond their use in initial occupational preparation, there is a wider set of considerations about the utility of practice-based experiences to promote ongoing development across working life. In particular, occupational practice and experiences in practice settings are now being used as a vehicle for professional development. Increasingly, educational programmes organised by universities, technical colleges, and professional bodies, are often either premised upon or partially based within the learner's occupational practice. Hence, at this time, there is a wide and growing acceptance that the experiences provided in practice settings, usually workplaces or work settings, are essential for developing the knowledge required to effectively practice occupations.

Published abstract.

The book from which this chapter is taken is indexed at TD/TNC 101.323; individual chapters are indexed from TD/TNC 101.324 to TD/TNC 101.338. Show less

The standing of vocational education and training (VET) is often quite low in many countries. This includes those with developing economies as well those with advanced industrial economies. The outcomes of this low standing include a reluctance of young people and their parents to consider VET as a viable educational option, viewing it as a second option, at best. In addition, this standing can lead to reduced government, industry and enterprise sponsorship and support of VET, thereby adding to its lack of attractiveness for young people. Yet, there is often a mismatch between the worth and benefits of VET and decision-making about it. Consequently, it is necessary to identify factors shaping the standing of VET and initiatives to be enacted for this important educational sector to be considered on its own merits, and supported more by the community, government and employers. Hence, it is more likely to achieve its educational goals for young people, their communities, workplaces and nations.

This chapter presents sets of proposals and strategies to enhance the standing of VET that were advanced in a virtual conference organised by UNESCO-UNEVOC. Entitled 'Improving the standing of VET', the conference was held between the 16 to 24 July 2018 [report available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 135.960]. It had 346 delegates from 82 countries, most of whom have developing economies. Delegates shared their perspectives about the standing of VET and offered suggestions on how to make VET more attractive to young people in their countries, and elsewhere. The challenges to be overcome often have entrenched historical, cultural and institutional sources. Constructive contributions were posted by delegates from a wide range of countries, mainly from those with developing economies. The discussions in the chapter progress under five headings: (i) the standing of VET and its consequences, (ii) factors shaping the standing of VET, (iii) perspectives of young people, their parents and familiars, (iv) policies and practices that might enhance the standing of VET, and (v) evaluating the impact of those policies and practices.

Published abstract. Show less

The low standing of vocational education and training (VET) generates reluctance amongst young people and their parents to consider VET as a viable post-school option. A survey was developed and administered to verify and elaborate the findings from an earlier round of interviews. In all, 168 school-aged students, 148 schoolteachers, 296 vocational educators and 230 parents completed the online survey. They ranked (i) important factors in decision-making about post-school pathways; (ii) the influence of familiars on school students' decision-making about study pathways and preferred occupations; (iii) important messages to promote the standing of vocational education; and (iv) effective presentations of informed and positive messages.

The findings indicate differences in perspectives between the school-aged students and their adult counterparts (i.e., parents, teachers or other familiars). These findings highlighted information about utility, authenticity and status of VET as being effective when communicating about VET to make informed decisions. They also draw attention to the importance of providing accurate details and model examples about VET and the occupations it serves. More tailored strategies to reach individual goals were sought by students and parents (see Billett et al., Chap. 18) [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 148.674].

Published abstract. Show less

This chapter, which is based on a program of research in workplace learning that was undertaken over the last decade, conceptualises workplace learning as legitimate learning environments on their own terms. It proposes how initial and ongoing development of vocational practice throughout working life may best proceed and how workplaces should be conceptualised as learning spaces. The implications for policy and practice are also identified, the key one being that the promotion of learning throughout working life is a responsibility to be shared by government, industry, enterprise, teachers and individuals. Goals and actions to be undertaken by each of these actors to foster high quality learning at work are listed. The chapter concludes that in order to best realise the potential of workplaces as learning spaces, a reappraisal and broadening of the conceptualisation of what constitutes learning, and enacting the kinds of pedagogic practices that may be utilised to enhance the quality and distribution of workplace affordances, are necessary.

The monograph from which this chapter is taken is indexed at TD/TNC 80.217; individual chapters are indexed from TD/TNC 80.218 to TD/TNC 80.229. Show less

This chapter critically appraises the potential of action learning as a professional development strategy for teachers. Using the case of a professional development programme that prepared vocational teachers to become industry consultants, the chapter examines the potential and the impediments of this approach to managing change in technical and vocational education. The chapter commences with a brief commentary on individual change or learning from cognitive and social constructivist and change-theory perspectives. Next the case study is described and findings from an evaluation of the programme are discussed. Finally, some conclusions are drawn about how the action learning-based approaches to educational change might be best enacted and evaluated.

Published introduction.

The book from which this chapter is taken is indexed at TD/TNC 100.51. Individual chapters are indexed from TD/TNC 100.52 to TD/TNC 100.244. Show less

In the overview chapter of this section, the author discusses the teaching profession as it relates to the provision of technical and vocational education and training (TVET). TVET teaching covers a broad spectrum. In some countries, TVET is firmly based in the development of skills for specific occupations. This requires teachers with specialist trade skills. In other countries, TVET may be intermingled with other types of general education. In many Asian countries, vocational education is part of the secondary school curriculum and is taught by teachers with little or no experience outside the school system. The roles undertaken by TVET professionals are varied and so will be their initial teacher education and their continuing professional development. The author also mentions the low standing in which TVET teachers are often held, partly due to the low standing in which TVET itself is held. The chapter concludes with an overview of the other chapters in this section.

The book from which this chapter is taken is indexed at TD/TNC 100.51. Individual chapters are indexed from TD/TNC 100.52 to TD/TNC 100.244. Show less

This chapter discusses the changing and emerging characteristics of work, work practice and work requirements, and their consequences for vocational education. Changing patterns in work and working life are proposed as comprising: (1) the kind of work available; (ii) how individuals participate in work; (iii) what constitutes competence within that work; and (iv) those participating in work. The consequences for vocational education are systemic in terms of the kinds of occupations that need to be developed, variations in and complexity of work requirements, shifts in employer/employee relations, and the demographic shifts in those who will need to be supported by vocational education. The chapter examines these patterns of change to work and working life, and discusses policy and curriculum practice associated with each. Overall, it argues that the changes to work make it more demanding, and the frequency of change in work and how work is carried out demands careful, comprehensive and targeted preparation and on-going development. Moreover, with broader participation in the work force and longer working lives, the arrangement for this preparation and on-going development will need to be targeted, differentiated and sustained.

Published introduction.

The book from which this chapter is taken is indexed at TD/TNC 100.51. Individual chapters are indexed from TD/TNC 100.52 to TD/TNC 100.244. Show less

This chapter introduces the Dutch vocational education system and aims to foster an understanding of how it currently works. It describes and discusses the features of this system and the foundational issues that underlie it. Patterns of participation show the crucial position of vocational education in the overall education system in the Netherlands. It provides opportunities for supporting promising educational careers and positive positions in the labour market. The system design is to be without 'dead ends': everybody is supposed to leave the system with a fitting qualification. However, this design has proven to be less promising in its realization. Early tracking foreshadows pathways and makes some careers, if not dead ends, difficult, elevating the risk of dropping out. Five fundamental issues are highlighted when discussing the current Dutch vocational education system in practice in this chapter. Firstly, within a public frame, vocational education is a product of cooperation amongst various stakeholders. The specifics of the private-public frame are helpful for understanding the processes by which Dutch vocational education is uniquely shaped, and lead to its specific kinds of programmes and cooperation between schools and enterprises. The freedom of education concept comprises a second issue. Thirdly, tensions between accessibility and allocation to labour market and, fourthly, between educating for the short term and the longer term future are common to most vocational education systems, albeit manifested differently because of the national peculiarities. Fifthly, the current expectation for the Dutch public provision of vocational education contributing to lifelong learning of workers is a challenge for the future and, already, testing its capacity as a system to support this goal.

Published abstract. Show less

Investigating issues associated with and strategies for enhancing the standing of vocational education necessarily involves engaging with a range of perspectives, insights and suggestions. This includes those who organise and implement educational experiences, those who enact them, and also those who directly influence the decision-making of young people, as well as those young people themselves. Of course, such a venture means capturing and comparing, contrasting and evaluating those perspectives. As insights and perspectives need to be captured in some detail, qualitative approaches to data gathering and analysis are essential. On the other, quantitative analysis is required to identify patterns across cohorts of informants and analyse their weightings and rankings. Accordingly, this chapter sets out the rationale for and approaches adopted in an investigation about enhancing the status of vocational education and the occupations it serves in Queensland, Australia.

The investigation comprised an initial round of focus groups and interviews with school-age students, teachers and parents, students in vocational education institutions and their teachers (Phase 1). A careful analysis of focus group data, interview transcripts and surveys gathered through these interviews were then used to develop a survey that was administered nationally (Phase 2). That survey extended the scope of the study and the range of informants and provided a platform for quantitative analysis and comparisons of perspectives and suggestions of distinct cohorts of informants. Then, in Phase 3, suggestions about enhancing the status of vocational education were identified through a series of focus groups with school administrators and teachers. Weighting to sets of suggestions about what government, industry, schools, and teachers might do to offer well informed and impartial advice and engage with information about potential postschool pathways were analysed.

Published abstract. Show less

This book of readings brings together the results of a body of research on the funding and financing of vocational education and training (VET) in Australia presented at a research forum hosted by the National Centre for Vocational Education and Research (NCVER) in late 2003.

There is widespread belief amongst many Australian commentators that Australian employers do not provide their employees with enough training. In recent years this belief has led to calls for the re-imposition of compulsory levies on employers to ensure that they spend more on training. This belief is largely based on the analysis of data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), particularly data on training expenditure. In this chapter the authors challenge this interpretation of the data and make the case that Australian employers do not spend much less than their international counterparts on training for their employees and that the way to get employers to invest in training is not through the use of compulsory levies.

The book of readings is indexed at TD/TNC 84.03; individual chapters are indexed from TD/TNC 84.21 to TD/TNC 84.29. Show less