Problematising vocational education and training in schools: using student narratives to interrupt neoliberal ideology

Down, Barry; Smyth, John; Robinson, Janean

doi:10.1080/17508487.2017.1289474

Cited by 20 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…To make students employable, teachers seem to focus on specific labour market skills and, in dealing with student diversity, frame pedagogic practices as individual tasks. However, as for example Hickox and Moore (1992) have argued, allowing education to adapt strongly to labour market needs at a time when work and workplace skills are rapidly evolving might be fallacious because it seems to separate morals and skills (see also Down et al, 2017). As Young (2008) argues in line with Bernstein: ‘the vocational curriculum always has (or should have) two intertwined purposes: providing access to the (disciplinary) knowledge that is transforming work, and acquiring job-specific skills and knowledge’ (Young, 2008: 170).…”

Section: Conclusion and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wheelahan, 2015). Knowledge content taught within VET is often argued to be either too general or too specific (Down et al, 2017; Hodge et al, 2017), and reflects a tension between the dual educational goals of enhancing employability and developing democratic citizens. The general and the specific, as used here, refer to what other researchers have described as the ‘word’ and the ‘world’ (Avis, 2016; Bernstein, 2000; Young, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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VET Teachers’ Interpretations of Individualisation and Teaching of Skills and Social Order in two Nordic Countries

Eiríksdóttir

Rosvall

2019

European Educational Research Journal

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The age at which young people leave education for the labour market has increased in recent decades, and entering upper secondary education has become the norm. As a result, the diversity of the student population has increased, for instance in terms of students' academic merits and achievements at school. Increased diversity seems to affect vocational education and training more than tracks preparing students for higher education, since entry into VET programmes is rarely selective. In this article we analyse a series of interviews with VET teachers regarding VET practices in upper secondary schools in Sweden and Iceland. We examine how policy plays out in practice in VET by looking at how VET teachers navigate the sometimes conflicting educational goals of employability and civic engagement, while simultaneously teaching a highly diverse group of students. In both countries, pedagogic practices are dominated by individualisation with a focus on task-related skills. Those practices are important in VET, but can exclude broader understandings of civil and workplace life, since general knowledge about areas such as ethics, democracy, equality, and environmental issues is difficult to obtain if education gives students few opportunities to interact with others, such as through group work or classroom discussions.

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Section: Conclusion and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

VET Teachers’ Interpretations of Individualisation and Teaching of Skills and Social Order in two Nordic Countries

Eiríksdóttir

Rosvall

2019

European Educational Research Journal

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“…For example, it is the expressed aim of the Australian Government that 40% of all Australians between the ages of 25 to 34 should have a tertiary degree and that 20% of all Australian university students should be from low SES backgrounds by 2025 (Australian Government, 2009). However, such targets can suggest that careers that do not require university education are somehow of lower value (Down, Smyth, & Robinson, 2017;Sellar, Gale, & Parker, 2011). Such benchmarks also tend to underestimate the social, cultural and economic resources that make higher education more available to some groups than others (Appadurai, 2004, cited in Sellar et al, 2011, particularly for rural and regional youth (Corbett, 2016;Corbett & Forsey, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aspire High: Impacting Student Aspirations In A Regional Community

Reaburn

Fraser

Smith

et al. 2017

AIJRE

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This paper provides initial evidence of the effectiveness of an educational program in a Tasmanian regional community that has experienced ongoing industrial restructuring. In response to these changes, community and civic leaders adopted a multifaceted strategic plan to address employment needs and opportunities. Part of this plan involved targeting school children to help them explore a broader range of educational and career options. The program, Aspire High, involves Year 5 children visiting workplaces, the local Year 11 and 12 college, the local technical college, and a local university campus. This paper reports results from student interviews and surveys. While it is difficult to attribute changes in studentsâ€™ attitudes and aspirations solely to Aspire High, it is evident that they were enthusiastic about the program. Secondary findings showed that students become less positive towards school by Year 8, and that boys are less likely to be positive towards school and more likely to choose a traditionally gendered occupation.

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“…Umraeðan snýst um tilgang menntunar og hvort starfsmenntun á framhaldsskólastigi eigi að þjóna atvinnugrein fyrst og fremst, með áherslu á starfstengda haefni, eða að auki stefnu yfirvalda um alhliða almenna menntun og þátttöku í lýðraeðissamfélagi (sjá t.d. Bernstein, 2000;Hodge, Holford, Milana, Waller og Webb, 2017;Down, Smyth og Robinson, 2017;Wheelahan, 2015). En rannsóknir hafa bent á að ofuráhersla á starfstengda haefni fyrir tiltekinn vettvang á kostnað almennrar menntunar og lýðraeðislegrar umraeðuhefðar dragi úr möguleikum starfsnámsnemenda til lýðraeðislegrar þátttöku, takmarki aðgengi nemenda að valdastöðum í þjóðfélaginu og viðhaldi stéttaskiptingu (Arnesen og Lundahl, 2006;Nylund o.f l., 2018;Wheelahan, 2007).…”

Section: Rannsóknarspurningar Og Aðferðunclassified

Þversagnir og kerfisvillur? Kortlagning á ólíkri stöðu bóknáms- og starfsnámsbrauta á framhaldsskólastigi

Eiríksdóttir¹,

Ragnarsdóttir²,

Jónasson³

2020

Netla

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Alþjóðlegar rannsóknir hafa sýnt fram á ólíka stöðu bóknáms- og starfsnámsbrauta í framhaldsskólum hvað varðar inntak náms, félagslega virðingu, réttlæti og tækifæri til framhaldsmenntunar. Þetta hefur einnig verið umræðuefni hér á landi í næstum heila öld. Markmið greinarinnar er að skoða hvernig ólík staða bóknámsog starfsnámsbrauta, með tilliti til virðingar, áherslu og forgangs, birtist í íslensku menntakerfi. Umfjöllunin er í þremur meginköflum: (1) Hlutverk og áhrif ytri stýringar – þá er sérstaklega vísað til menntastefnu stjórnvalda, til háskólastigsins og til atvinnulífsins; (2) Umgjörð framhaldsskóla og hvað kann að hafa áhrif á val nemenda; (3) Fyrirkomulag kennslu og mismunandi afstaða kennara. Leitast er við að varpa ljósi á þessa þætti með því að skoða annars vegar námskrár, skýrslur og önnur opinber gögn sem tengjast viðfangsefninu og hins vegar gögn úr rannsókninni Starfshættir í framhaldsskólum. Niðurstöðurnar ber allar að sama brunni: Ólík staða bóknáms- og starfsnáms er bæði kerfislæg og félagsleg og rætur hennar og tilvist er víða að finna. Birtingarmyndir ólíkrar stöðu komu fram í öllum meginköflunum. Stöðumun var að finna í viðhorfum í opinberri menntastefnu, í aðsókn og aðgengi að framhaldsskólanámi, kennsluháttum í framhaldsskólum og tækifærum að námi loknu. Mikilvægt er að skoða niðurstöðurnar í samhengi við jafnrétti til náms, tilgang menntunar og það hvernig ráðandi viðhorf lita stjórnsýslu menntamála, samfélagslega afstöðu og starfshætti í skólum, jafnvel þó að opinber stefnumótun einkennist af hinu gagnstæða og yfirlýst stefna sé að efla starfsnám

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Problematising vocational education and training in schools: using student narratives to interrupt neoliberal ideology

Cited by 20 publications

References 30 publications

VET Teachers’ Interpretations of Individualisation and Teaching of Skills and Social Order in two Nordic Countries

VET Teachers’ Interpretations of Individualisation and Teaching of Skills and Social Order in two Nordic Countries

Aspire High: Impacting Student Aspirations In A Regional Community

Þversagnir og kerfisvillur? Kortlagning á ólíkri stöðu bóknáms- og starfsnámsbrauta á framhaldsskólastigi

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