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Article
Publication date: 17 June 2024

Amy Cosby, Melissa Ann Sullivan, Jaime Manning and Bobby Harreveld

This case study is based on the Women in Agri-Tech programme, a teacher professional development programme that aimed to build teachers’ capabilities to use Agri-Tech in their…

105

Abstract

Purpose

This case study is based on the Women in Agri-Tech programme, a teacher professional development programme that aimed to build teachers’ capabilities to use Agri-Tech in their agriculture/STEM classes to increase student awareness of agriculture technology and its associated career paths. Teachers and agriculture industry partners co-created Agri-Tech modules, which were implemented and evaluated from teachers’ and students’ perspectives. This paper demonstrates how work-related learning that emphasises technology can increase the visibility of career pathways and how multi-stakeholder benefits can evolve from teacher–industry partnerships.

Design/methodology/approach

An action research design using quantitative and qualitative methods was used to construct this case study. Data collection methods included surveys, interviews, peer evaluation and teacher reflections.

Findings

Teacher professional development that incorporates teacher-industry partnerships can increase teachers’ self-efficacy and build confidence to support authentic work-related learning in their classes. Integrating technology into agriculture/STEM classes can increase the visibility of agriculture career paths for students, which is critical given the serious skills shortage in this sector.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited in that the Women in Agri-Tech professional development programme was one standalone programme tailored specifically for women agriculture/STEM teachers through a competitive process. However, the beneficial implications of such programmes that support teacher–industry engagement have far-reaching benefits. Teacher professional development programmes that provide opportunities to partner with industry can support improvements in integrating career-aligned learning into the curriculum and can specifically address industry skills and knowledge gaps by addressing school-based learning requirements for the future workforce.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature on education–industry partnerships and considers how teachers can contribute to an early intervention sector workforce development strategy for future industry sustainability.

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Article
Publication date: 27 March 2009

Bobby Harreveld and Michael Singh

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the ways in which learning is contextualised among the intersecting worlds of education, training and work.

2052

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the ways in which learning is contextualised among the intersecting worlds of education, training and work.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study methodology is used.

Findings

It was found that contextualised learning is integral to industry‐school transition strategies in senior secondary school learning. However, its operational complexities are yet to be articulated in terms of senior secondary students as learners and earners – educational leadership in partnerships for future innovations in curriculum and pedagogy.

Research limitations/implications

Initial analysis of first stage fieldwork data is reported.

Originality/value

The paper is the first of a series that will report on findings from a three‐year research project (2007‐2010). Its originality stems from conceptualising “contextualised learning” (CL) for the development of individual capabilities through multi‐directional and reciprocal boundary crossing among education, training and work systems.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 51 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 9 February 2015

Melinda Waters, Linda Simon, Michele Simons, Jennifer Davids and Bobby Harreveld

As neoliberal reforms take hold in the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Australia, there is renewed interest in the quality of teaching practice. However, despite…

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Abstract

Purpose

As neoliberal reforms take hold in the vocational education and training (VET) sector in Australia, there is renewed interest in the quality of teaching practice. However, despite the value of practitioner inquiry to the quality of teaching in schools, scholarly practice in higher education, and established links between the quality of teaching and outcomes for learners and between practice-based inquiry and pedagogic innovation in VET, the practices has received little attention. The purpose of this paper is to explore the value of a college-wide culture of scholarly activity to learners, enterprises, VET institutions, educators and the national productivity agenda.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the education literature, empirical examples of scholarly activity drawn from the authors’ experiences of working with VET practitioners, this paper asks what constitutes research and inquiry in VET, why should these practices be integral to educative practice and what value do they bring to the sector? In addressing the questions, the authors explore how research and inquiry is defined in the literature and draw on three empirical examples of scholarly activities to provide a national, institutional and individual view. A discussion about the value of scholarly activities to VET stakeholders and how the practices might be fostered and sustained concludes the paper.

Findings

The paper concludes that practice-based scholarly activities in VET cultivate rich potential for renewed and innovative pedagogies that improve outcomes for learners, respond to industry demands for innovative skills, build “pedagogic capital” for VET institutions, enrich the knowledge base of policy makers and build resilience and professionalism. The authors conclude by positioning VET educators as scholars in their own right along a continuum of scholarly activity and posing the proposition that when valued, scholarly activities are practices for new times that will build a strong and vibrant profession for the future.

Research limitations/implications

This paper brings together the authors’ experiences of working with VET practitioners as the authors engage in scholarly activities. While each vignette was drawn from a formal research project in each case, the paper itself was not structured around a formal research activity, although a small survey was undertaken for vignette 1. This poses limitations to the findings of the study. However, the purpose of the paper is not to be conclusive but to forward an argument for more scholarly activity in VET in order to promote further research and debate.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the current debate in Australia about the quality of teaching in VET and the sectors’ capability to produce “work-ready” graduates. It brings to the fore the value of scholarly activity for educators, learners, industry and communities, VET institutions and the broader national innovation agenda. As such, it has relevance to all VET stakeholders, most particularly policy makers, leaders and practitioners in VET.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 5 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

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