Teacher subjectivation in the quality dispositive: the example of VET in Austria

Abstract

Current reforms in vocational education and training (VET) are characterised by a constant striving for quality assurance and improvement. To this end, a powerful reform network has emerged that shapes the subjectivation processes of teachers. Drawing on Foucault (1980), we term this complex formation a 'dispositive' . The paper introduces dispositive analytics as an innovative approach for educational research. Taking Austria as an example of a 'broader understanding' of VET (Avis 2014) we address the question of how VET teachers' subjectivity is shaped by the quality dispositive. The study investigates subject positions that refer to the ways teachers should be and act. Furthermore, qualitative interviews with VET teachers were conducted to examine which dispositional quality logics they tend to internalise and which forms and strategies they express to subvert the quality dispositive. The analysis reveals that the current reform network creates tensions in the subjectivation processes leading to experiences of de-professionalisation.

The Impact of Sustainable Education Practices on Food Consumption Behaviours – An Experimental Study of Agrarian School's Students in Hungary

“…The network of agricultural vocational training institutions is very efficient and marketsensitive in Austria. (Hoidn, Vít, 2021;Bauer, Gessler, 2017;Becker et al, 2020;Hautz, Thoma, 2021;Hautz, 2020;Schlögl et al, 2020). Based on the specificities of the Austrian education system, Vocational upper secondary education in agriculture can be implemented in the following types of institutions in the country (Atzmüller, Knecht, 2017;Durazzi, Geyer, 2019;Lassnigg, 2017, Schmid, 2020.…”

The Role of Vocational Education and Training in the Integration of Refugees in Austria, Denmark and Germany

“…The Austrian IVET system differs from the other two systems in its unique combination of dual apprenticeship training and full-time schooling (Graf et al, 2012). Apprenticeships and VET schools allow for different qualifications in similar vocational fields for young people at the upper-secondary level (e.g., Hautz & Thoma, 2021). Thus, VET in Austria provides a greater variety of opportunities and pathways than VET in Germany and Denmark.…”

Thresholds for dis/trust: exploring the impact of standards-based reforms on the process of being and becoming a VET teacher in England and Austria

“…To date little is known about teachers' experiences of being trusted in the context of education policy or how reform processes influence trust and distrust towards teachers (e.g. Donovan, 2019;Hautz and Thoma, 2021). Therefore, it is of interest to gain deeper insights into the role of dis/trust in the enactment of standards-based reforms and how this shapes expectations for trust within the VET system.…”

“…VET in England and Austria differ considerably in terms of their structure, underlying principles and objectives (Busemeyer and Schlicht-Schm€ alzle, 2014). To highlight one key aspect, in contrast to the "skills-based model" (Brockmann et al, 2008, p. 549) of VET in England, the Austrian system can be characterised as a "knowledge-based model" that follows a holistic conception of VET, focussing not only on the needs of the labour market, but also on civic education and the personal development of students (Avis, 2014;Hautz and Thoma, 2021). Despite these differences, both England and Austria have been subject to comprehensive standards-based educational reforms in recent years that impact on conditions for professional recognition in VET.…”