Search Results for
"learning"

Competence-based vocational education is based on a constructivist learning paradigm, where the development of students' personal professional knowledge is emphasised. However, there is a lack of insight into how students construct their own professional knowledge and what the content and nature of personal professional knowledge is. This article elaborates the concept Personal Professional Theory (PPT): a personal knowledge base in which professional knowledge and beliefs are internalised. PPTs are built upon a combination of declarative and procedural knowledge and are stored in the long-term memory. Furthermore, knowledge in PPTs refers to compiled knowledge which can be specified and applied to different professional situations. These PPTs develop through an interrelated process of internalisation and socialisation, in which students grow into the existing body of shared knowledge and collective norms, values and beliefs of professionals of an occupational domain. It is concluded that the elaboration of PPTs can be used to stimulate and monitor personal professional knowledge development in vocational education, but further research into the content and nature of PPTs is required. © 2009 The Vocational Aspect of Education Ltd.

The first part of the paper outlines and discusses the nature of work-based learning (WBL) and WBL programmes, and the overall direction of government strategy towards WBL programmes in Higher Education (HE) in England, with particular reference to postgraduate programmes, policy documents, and the WBL literature. Drawing upon case study research, the paper then presents an overview of the postgraduate WBL programmes offered by three English universities. There follows a presentation and analysis of the views of teaching staff and managers with respect to the operation of these programmes. A number of benefits were identified, including flexibility, student career development, and student’s enhanced influence over the learning process and content. A number of problems were also identified, including a lack of awareness of, interest in, and resistance to the programmes on the behalf of the wider university academic community. © 2009 The Vocational Aspect of Education Ltd.

Research evidence shows that a career dialogue is a central part of any powerful learning environment for career learning. In vocational education and training, there are three important parties in this dialogue: the student, the teacher and the mentor from practice. In this paper the communication between these parties is investigated in secondary vocational training in the Netherlands. Results suggest that the potential of the dialogue (or trialogue, as it concerns three parties) is hardly utilised: the communication between student, teacher and mentor from practice is not dialogical and only discusses the most successful way to a degree, but not to a career. © 2009 The Vocational Aspect of Education Ltd.

Dutch prevocational secondary schools are reforming their educational programmes to make them more competence-based. This reform has substantial implications for the roles played by teachers. Yet, little empirical research has been conducted on teachers’ processes of competence development in vocational settings. This study explores teachers’ individual action theories regarding the introduction of competence-based prevocational secondary education. The cognitive apprenticeship model provides a conceptual framework for addressing this issue. The research questions addressed here are: How do teachers value elements of the cognitive apprenticeship model in designing and delivering competence-based prevocational secondary education?, and, What individual action theories do teachers have regarding competence-based prevocational secondary education? The study was designed in two phases. In the qualitative phase, interviews and concept map techniques were used, while the quantitative phase employed a questionnaire. Teachers valued elements of the cognitive apprenticeship model differently, and suggested two additional features: a custom-made educational approach and the professionalisation of teachers. © 2009 The Vocational Aspect of Education Ltd.

Several series studies related to school science teachers’ PCK. Chapter one first describes the social constructive framework related to the research model. Then it addresses the related literature concerning PCK of pre-service and in-service science teachers, as well as the merits of models. Finally, a research-based model for PCK is presented. The process of PCK development involves the PCK-COPR module (Comprehension, Observation, Practice and Reflection).Then, chapter two demonstrated a group of pre-service teachers (n=23) to participate a technology-based PCK-COPR model designed to restructure science teacher education courses. There were significant differences in ’‘pedagogical knowledge’', '‘technology knowledge’’ and '‘overall PCK’’ (F = 4.123, p < 0.05, F = 9.260, p < 0.01, and F= 6.372, p < 0.05, respectively.), but no significant differences in the other aspects. The innovative teaching experience could help pre-service teachers develop multiple teaching methods and strategies, and further enhanced their PCK. Chapter three was to examine the eighth-grade students’ perceptions of science teachers’ PCK difference between beginning teachers and experienced teachers, and the effects of applying the PCK-COPR model in the concepts of '‘electric circuits’'. The research methods of students’ perceptions and teachers’ reflection could increase the learning and research experience of both in-service science teachers and the instructors and also serve as useful reference for other in-service teacher education institutes. Chapter four aimed to explore the impact of integrating a peer-coaching model into team teaching on PCK development of team teachers of secondary integrated science from a social constructivist approach. The research design included two-semester peer coaching and one-semester team teaching. Two simultaneous interventions should be conducive to science teachers’ creative thinking and collaborative relationship. Chapter five evaluated a three-stage collaborative concept-mapping technique in the fourth-grade science classes. The major issue investigated includes the student performance and responses toward the experimental teaching method. The findings showed that the two teaching methods reached significant difference with respect to students’ test scores. The experimental teaching method provided interaction, presentation and a way of progressing to enhance the learning outcome. Two studies demonstrated the innovative approaches of teaching and learning mathematics. Chapter six evaluated a collaborative learning model integrated into team teaching in the sixth-grade math classes. Three mathematics classes were assigned to Experimental Groups and Control Group for eight weeks in this study. The findings of the study showed the experimental teaching method enhanced students’ performance. Chapter seven was to evaluate a technology environment integrated into collaborative learning in sixth-graders’ mathematics classes. The study focused the advantage of the constructivist view of teaching and learning process, which mainly highlighted three aspects including “active construction”, “experiential learning” and “social interaction”. © 2009 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Workplace learning is currently a crucial component of most programmes leading to professional and technical careers. Universities of Technologies expect their students to spend up to a year of their training programme at the site of envisaged work, while professional programmes in, e.g. teaching, are requiring a longer period of time to be spent in schools. The new framework for teacher education in South Africa gazetted in 2007 requires a student teacher to be in schools for up to a year. In fact, the length of school-based placement within teacher development programmes is central to the conceptualizations of theoretical models (e.g. master-apprentice model, applied science model and professional model fo teacher development) that frame teacher development across the centuries. This signals that workplace learning, either through internships or bouts of school placements spread across the programme, is now being conceptualized as a crucial component of learning. Currently, the major focus on workplace learning is on curriculum, policy and process issues. Little research has focused on discriminatory practices that impact on students learning and lives when students go on these workplace learning activities. This paper draws on empirical evidence from two different occupational specific training programme (Hospitality training and teaching), using surveys and narrative enquiry with students and staff of industries and schools, to identify the major forms of discriminatory practices that students are exposed to during their workplace learning and its resultant impact on their learning and lives. The paper finally alludes to curriculum intervention in the learning programme to help address theses gaps in training programmes. © Common Ground, Labby Ramrathan, Sathishah Ramrathan.

Continuing to learn is universally accepted and expected by professionals and other stakeholders across all professions. However, despite changes in response to research findings about how professionals learn, many professional development practices still focus on delivering content rather than enhancing learning. In exploring reasons for the continuation of didactic practices in professional development, this article critiques the usual conceptualization of professional development through a review of recent literature across professions. An alternative conceptualization is proposed, based on philosophical assumptions congruent with evidence about professional learning from seminal educational research of the past two decades. An argument is presented for a shift in discourse and focus from delivering and evaluating professional development programs to understanding and supporting authentic professional learning. © 2009 AERA.

A number of Western countries face a potential adult literacy crisis revealed by international surveys and increasing workplace demands. Concern in New Zealand was raised by results of the 1996 International Adult Literacy Survey showing 48 percent of adults were at literacy levels one and two, out of a range of one to five. However, despite initiatives, many aimed at raising literacy levels and providing employment training for unemployed youth, the 2006 Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey showed little improvement. As part of a government-funded research project based in a provincial North Island city, attitudes of employers to adult literacy issues were explored through focus groups, a city wide e-survey, and in-depth follow up interviews. The results illustrate both the complex nature of workplace literacies and difficulties in understanding the place these have in both work and life. For instance, when employers were asked about skills or qualities needed by potential employees, they valued personal qualities, life skills and communication skills more highly than 'hard' skills of reading, writing, numeracy and qualifications. Responses showed employers would not employ anyone demonstrating literacy problems and they were reluctant to assume that anyone in their workplace could have literacy difficulties. Further, they had few strategies to deal with any such issues, were mostly not prepared to get involved in any training and had little knowledge of available support systems. This paper discusses the implications of the findings in light of the current recession and an economic environment with growing numbers of small, less-resourced businesses and where literacy training delivery is becoming increasingly privatised and fragmented. © Common Ground, Margie Comrie, Nicola Murray.

The globalisation along with the interdependence of various economies has resulted in creating extra dimension to the employability skills requirements. Various socio-economic indicators have increased the pressure on vocational education sector and changed it from supply driven to demand driven by the labour market requirements to minimise the existing employability skills gap. The paper presents a study that has been conducted to identify the existing skills gap between School Based learning (SBL) and Work Based learning (WBL) in Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) System in Bahrain by asking teachers, Human Resources departments from industry, and industrial supervisors to complete questionnaires. Their answers have been analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Based on these drawn conclusions, an improved employability skills model has been developed which shows the importance of the required skills. This model will be the basis for suggested modifications in SBL and WBL structure in TVE in Bahrain. © Common Ground, Rakesh Mishra, Mohamed Alseddiqi, Crinela Pislaru.

The paper will explore the impact on ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) learning of the current UK focus on improving the skills of employed adults in the workforce. It will consider the implications for practice and for learners' access of the policy changes that are shifting the focus of ESOL towards employability. These include the active encouragement of employers to train their migrant workers, and the introduction of new 'ESOL for Work' qualifications alongside pre-existing ESOL 'Skills for Life' awards. Using three case examples the paper examines the challenges faced by one experienced London-based provider in developing and re-orienting generic ESOL provision towards a work focus.The paper identifies the range of issues to be addressed to ensure that the learning programmes meet both employer and employees'/ learners'needs and expectations, and that they are effective in improving English language and literacy skills in or for the workplace. The paper will be of interest to those developing work-based learning opportunities for a culturally and linguistically diverse workforce. © Common Ground, Pamela Frame, Anne Greenall.