VET teachers between school and working life: boundary processes enabling continuing professional development

Abstract

Changes in working life require development in vocational education and training (VET) to retain industrial currency. VET teachers are key actors in VET, and their continuing professional development (CPD) in vocational subjects is central to the currency of VET. This study is situated in Sweden, with a mainly school-based VET system where VET teachers have the main responsibility for students' school-based and workplace learning, and they typically have a background in an initial occupation which they now teach their students. The study applies a situated learning perspective, with a particular focus on boundary processes between VET schools and working life, and how the modes of identification of engagement, imagination, and alignment are enacted and influence the identity formation and CPD of VET teachers. The findings are based on interviews with 30 Swedish VET teachers. The qualitative study shows how different forms of boundary encounter between VET teachers and working life, brokering of occupational knowledge, and reconstruction of occupational practices at schools provide opportunities for teachers' CPD and influencing vocational teaching. It is important for the quality of VET teachers' CPD to include and integrate the different modes of identification, to allow for updating of different aspects of the occupational identity.

Creating continuity between school and workplace: VET teachers’ in-school work to overcome boundaries

“…Sociocultural aspects are enhanced with cognitive support to facilitate learning. In moving between theory and practice, teachers use their experience of the community of practice to aid in reconstructing the workplace in school (Berner 2010;Andersson and Köpsén 2019). Boundary objects, such as drawings on a whiteboard in full sight of the workshop or school tasks undertaken during WBL, can make a good connection between school and work practice to create continuity for students.…”

Knowledge in VET curricula and power in society and labour market : Policy and practice: demands-based and employer-driven Swedish higher vocational education

“…It has been argued that vocational teachers with responsibilities for curricular adaptation and development need more holistic teacher training if they are to be well-equipped stakeholders in such processes (Grollmann, 2008;Wheelahan & Moodie, 2012). To have power in the processes of creation and interpretation of curricula, as well as to facilitate training with high relevance to work, VET teachers need to have up-to-date knowledge of practices in the field (e.g., P. Andersson & Köpsén, 2019;Fejes & Köpsén, 2014;Isopahkala-Bouret, 2010;Wheelahan & Moodie, 2012).…”

“…In article 3 (J. Köpsén, 2020d) research on VET teachers are presented and used for the discussion on programme managers as responsible for teaching in the programmes (e.g., P. Andersson & Köpsén, 2019;Berner, 2010;Fejes & Köpsén, 2014;Grollmann, 2008;Isopahkala-Bouret, 2010;S. Köpsén, 2014;Priestley, Edwards, Priestley, & Miller, 2012;Wheelahan & Moodie, 2012).…”

“…How is the lack of demand for teacher training affecting instruction? I believe it is important for a study of who is teaching on the programmes to investigate both of the aspects that are presented as important for VET teachers: teacher training and vocational knowledge and experience (P. Andersson & Köpsén, 2019;Fejes & Köpsén, 2014;Grollmann, 2008). A study investigating how instruction in HVE programmes is organised, what forms of instruction are used and what type of premises and materials are available for use in HVE programmes could shine some light on the training in this diverse system.…”

Vad blev det av Gy2011 reformens intentioner för yrkesutbildning?

“…mellan de krav som skola respektive arbetslivet ställer (Andersson & Köpsén, 2019;Farnsworth & Higham, 2012). I sin roll som kunskapsmäklare mellan skola och arbetsliv som åtskilda lärmiljöer styrs yrkesläraruppdraget av utbildningspolitiska intentioner 1 .…”