Learning and working are two significant social networks in preparing individuals for future life. An understanding of learning in the workplace can inform how we organize institutional learning in order to produce competent and relevant vocational education and training (VET) graduates for the world of work. This paper explores the existing collaborative activities in the masters in vocational pedagogy (MVP) study program at Kyambogo University in Uganda and their linkage with workplaces. Two research questions were posed. (1) What collaborative activities are there in the MVP program that allow for learning in vocational teacher training institutions (VTIs) and workplaces? 2) How is knowledge constructed amongst the participating actors? The questions were investigated through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with purposively sampled participants. An analysis of the documents from the MVP project, including program reports, collaborating stakeholders meeting minutes and students’ theses, was done. The findings revealed that field expeditions and action research (AR) projects were the key activities incorporated in the MVP program to support the back and forth learning from workplaces. Through interactions and sharing practices, these activities promoted learning by solving problems encountered at work and by doing real life tasks.

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This article is about capacity building within vocational pedagogy and action research conducted in Uganda. The R&D work had two research questions; the first one concerns companies’ expectations of educational institutions, the second is about how the educational institutions can meet these expectations. Because there was a desire for development, it became natural for the project to be carried out as an action research project where, among other things, it introduced and developed specific tools aimed for research within vocational education and training. The article has a vocational pedagogical/vocational didactic focus where work processes are the starting point for vocational education and training. The article’s contribution to the vocational pedagogical field documents Ugandan work life’s strong need for closer collaboration between companies and education, and that educational institutions must be action-oriented. The second result is the further development of known tools and combinations of these for use in the implementation of vocational pedagogy and action research projects.

In vocational education and training, the acquisition of relevant skills by learners is vital for their employability. It has been argued that institution–workplace collaboration facilitates this acquisition of relevant skills through availing authentic real-life learning situations. This study used the cultural–historical activity theory to identify and characterise challenges to learning through collaboration between a masters of vocational pedagogy (MVP) programme, vocational teacher training institutions and workplaces in Uganda. Data were obtained using in-depth individual interviews with purposively sampled actors in collaborative activities. The findings revealed that challenges manifesting as discursive contradictions occurred in different phases of implementing collaborative activities. In the planning and implementation phase, contradictions were linked to short time frames for collaborative activities, unsynchronised activity plans and contradictory working cultures. In the supervision of learning, contradictions arose from a lack of a common understanding of the objectives and work methods of the collaborative activities. A lack of feedback to actors, an absence of a collaboration focal person, and a lack of government policy limited participation in collaborative activities. These challenges were observed to lessen the focus on the MVP students’ learning, which ultimately affected the quality of work produced and interfered with the implementation of collaborative activities.