The paper presents empirical data to consider some of the current debates concerning the nature of vocational knowledge taught in Further Education colleges to students following craft, vocational and occupational courses. The concept of 'knowledge in motion' and workplace learning theories are employed as a conceptual framework to examine the continuing professional development (CPD) activities of vocational teachers. This is used to shed light on the ways in which teachers use CPD as a means of accessing and transporting vocational knowledge from occupations to classrooms. Empirical data were gathered through questionnaire, in-depth interviews and participant observation. The findings are presented around five themes: (1) the range of CPD engaged with by vocational teachers; (2) the limitations of propositional, explicit knowledge; (3) engaging with and capturing tacit knowledge; (4) managing the temporality of vocational knowledge; and (5) networking within and to the occupation. Findings suggests that vocational knowledge is distributed and networked and this conceptualisation makes visible some of the ways teachers are able, through CPD activity, to transport vocational knowledge from occupations to classrooms.

Between 2008 and 2012, teachers in the further education (FE) sector were required by legislation to engage with 30 hours (pro rata) of continued professional development (CPD), and this is reflective of the ways in which, historically, policy interest in FE teachers' professional development has waxed and waned. Situated within this historical context, this paper, drawing on a study carried out between 2009 and 2010, presents teachers' perceptions of the ways in which they are restricted from engaging with CPD. Through the application of actor-network theory concepts of multiple worlds and realities, three competing and disjunctured 'reality networks' are identified: a) policy reality network; b) organization reality network; and c) teacher/CPD reality network. Structural arrangements and ongoing funding contractions for the sector, alongside teachers' working arrangements, are examined so as to identify whether these create barriers for teachers. It was found that the most significant barrier to engagement with beneficial and meaningful CPD is the result of teachers operating in impoverished and limited teacher/CPD networks. These impoverished networks do not offer teachers the opportunity to forge links with similar subject-specialist teachers, leaving them to develop subject and occupational expertise in isolation.

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This chapter explores pedagogical approaches used by vocational teachers to capture new techniques, technology and knowledge developed through shared practice in workplaces. It argues that this is both a challenging and a problematic endeavour as teachers are situated in contexts removed from where vocational knowledge is developed. In addition, the nature of vocational knowledge which is complex, complicated and in constant motion and flux compounds the practical problems of collection and recontextualization of new techniques and innovations from workplaces to teaching environments. Examples are given from research findings of how vocational teachers overcome these challenges by utilizing professional development activities to capture new techniques, technologies and knowledge. These are discussed in order to shed light on the agentic action of vocational teachers and how they self-determine and self-select the activities they engage with. It is also shown why some activities are perceived by teachers to be valuable and why some hold little value. It is further shown that this is largely determined by the relational value of the activities engaged with and how relevant they are to the day-today practices of the individual teacher. The hidden nature of the pedagogy that teachers use is also illuminated. This exploration reveals the main characteristics of effective teacher pedagogy that are a) teacher agency; b) relational networks; and c) hidden pedagogical practices. The chapter concludes by arguing for new ways to both organize and conceptualize pedagogical approaches to the development of vocational teachers' occupational expertise.

This chapter explores pedagogical approaches used by vocational teachers to capture new techniques, technology and knowledge developed through shared practice in workplaces. It argues that this is both a challenging and a problematic endeavour as teachers are situated in contexts removed from where vocational knowledge is developed. In addition, the nature of vocational knowledge which is complex, complicated and in constant motion and flux compounds the practical problems of collection and recontextualization of new techniques and innovations from workplaces to teaching environments. Examples are given from research findings of how vocational teachers overcome these challenges by utilizing professional development activities to capture new techniques, technologies and knowledge. These are discussed in order to shed light on the agentic action of vocational teachers and how they self-determine and self-select the activities they engage with. It is also shown why some activities are perceived by teachers to be valuable and why some hold little value. It is further shown that this is largely determined by the relational value of the activities engaged with and how relevant they are to the day-today practices of the individual teacher. The hidden nature of the pedagogy that teachers use is also illuminated. This exploration reveals the main characteristics of effective teacher pedagogy that are a) teacher agency; b) relational networks; and c) hidden pedagogical practices. The chapter concludes by arguing for new ways to both organize and conceptualize pedagogical approaches to the development of vocational teachers' occupational expertise.