Article 2015

Project-based vocational education and training: opportunities for teacher guidance in a Swedish upper secondary school

Journal of Vocational Education and Training
Journal · Vol. 67 · Issue 2 · pp. 187-202
Abstract

Project-based vocational education and training (PBVET) is a way to conduct vocational education in Swedish construction programmes. The educational settings used include projects ranging from minor construction to advanced houses. Due to limited research on this kind of educational setting, it is important to further develop knowledge on affordances in a PBVET. The aim of this study is to describe and analyse teachers’ perception on opportunities for teacher guidance provided in a PBVET. From this broad aim, the following research question is addressed: how do teachers view PBVET as (a) framing possibilities for their practice, (b) affecting students’ learning and (c) presenting challenges in this learning environment? Adopted methods for this study are observations and interviews. Observations were made at a PBVET worksite, which were then used in stimulated recall interviews. The findings show that this PBVET affects both teachers’ opportunities to perform teacher guidance as well as students’ possibilities for learning. This appears to be related to the structure in this PBVET which can be seen as operating within different activity systems. Hence, an interaction between these systems is likely the most important issue that needs to be resolved when conducting vocational education as a PBVET. © 2014 The Vocational Aspect of Education Ltd.

Keywords

Author Keywords

workplace learning vocational education and training learning in the professions vet and development vocational and educational guidance

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Department of Applied Educational Science, Umeå Universitet, Umea, Västerbotten, Sweden
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
References 10 References
1 Metod Och Medvetande, (1994)
2 Ethnography Principles in Practice, (1983)
3 Byggarbetsplatsen Som Skola Eller Skolan Som Byggarbetsplats En Studie Av Byggnadsarbetarens Yrkesutbildning, (2009)
4 Learning in the Workplace Strategies for Effective Practice, (2001)
5 Billett, Stephen Richard, Learning through work: Workplace affordances and individual engagement, Journal of Workplace Learning, 13, 5, pp. 209-214, (2001)
6 Arbete Och Larande Forutsattningar Och Hinder for Larande I Dagligt Arbete, (1996)
7 Learning by Expanding an Activity Theoretical Approach to Developmental Research, (1987)
8 Journal of Education and Work, (2001)
9 Fjellström, Magnus, Vocational education in practice: A study of work-based learning in a construction programme at a Swedish upper secondary school, Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training, 6, 1, (2014)
10 Pedagogisk Forskning I Sverige, (2003)
Quick Actions
Full Text via DOI
Citation Metrics
4
Times Cited (Scopus)

References 10
Document Identifiers