Teaching Here and Now but for the Future: Vocational Teachers’ Perspective on Teaching in Flux

Abstract

As working life changes, it places new demands on vocational competence and the use of different digital technologies. It affects vocational teaching, yet digitalization within vocational education constitutes a scarcely researched area. In this study, we explore how vocational teachers relate to teaching in a digitalized society from a socio-material perspective and explore the possibilities as well as the discursive manifestations of contradictions it gives rise to. Data includes semi-structured interviews with ten vocational teachers, representing eight vocational programs in Sweden. Findings show how vocational teachers benefit from digital technology to realize pedagogical strategies and facilitate students’ vocational competence. At the same time, digitalization entails challenges of keeping up with changes in working life and providing students with relevant vocational digital technologies. Contributions include increased knowledge about digitalization in vocational education, and how it entails navigating different contradictions.

The Challenges Facing Vocational Education Online from the Teachers’ Perspectives

“…Both general and specialized education help students adapt to their environment and feel a sense of belonging to it. Vocational education is often viewed in different ways, through its content as all the content necessary for success in a specific profession (Carlsson & Willermark, 2023).…”

“…Among the reasons and motives that led these countries to carry out reform campaigns in education and vocational training were the increase in dropout rates from educational levels, especially secondary education, the reluctance of students to enroll in secondary vocational and technical education programs, and their tracks, and the entry of high percentages of general education graduates (who have not completed university education) into the labor market without any professional or professional experience or skill (Carlsson & Willermark, 2023). This led to the weak professional level of the labor force, which led to a relative decline in the ability to compete in the global economy, and the labor market's increasing need for a multi-skilled workforce, characterized by flexibility and the ability to assign, change profession, and work within a team.…”

Forbidden and necessary: making sense of smartphones in vocational teaching

“…To explore how vocational teachers interpret the smartphone in teaching, qualitative interviews were conducted with ten vocational teachers representing eight different vocational programs in Swedish upper secondary education (see Table 1). The participants were recruited from a previous survey carried out by the authors (Carlsson, 2023) that explored vocational teachers' experiences in using and developing teaching material. To increase the variation of the vocational programs represented, two additional vocational teachers were recruited; thus, the selection can be considered strategic (Bryman, 2016).…”