Vocational Teachers and Professionalism: A Model Based on Empirical Analyses

Several theorists has developed models to illustrate the processes of adult learning and professional development (e.g. Illeris, Argyris, Engeström; Wahlgren & Aarkorg, Kolb and Wenger). Models can sometimes be criticized for reducing reality and for lacking details, but they can also serve the purpose of defining a framework for analysis and understanding of practice and thus serve as useful tool in professional development. Some of the existing models are developed in relation to specific contexts and display different emphasis on the adult employee, the organization, its surroundings as well as other contextual factors. Our concern is adult vocational teachers attending a pedagogical course and teaching at vocational colleges. The aim of the paper is to discuss different models and develop a model concerning teachers at vocational colleges based on empirical data in a specific context, vocational teacher-training course in Denmark. By offering a basis and concepts for analysis of practice such model is meant to support the development of vocational teachers’ professionalism at courses and in organizational contexts in general. The theoretical frameworks is based on Bourdieu’s sociological theory and the term habitus (Bourdieu, 1996). This is supplemented with Bernstein’s sociological theory and his concepts of pedagogic devise and recontextualising (Bernstein, 2000) and approaches to professionalism including professional identity (Heggen, 2008). To connect the three factors - the vocational teacher, the course and the vocational college that the teachers are teaching at - the term transition is chosen (Heggen, Smeby, & Vägen, 2015). The methodological design is based on analyses of data from an empirical study including 20 teachers employed on four vocational colleges. We have earlier made analyses of the data and published it but in this paper the theoretical framework is linked to create a generic model. The expectation is that the model can be developed and can support the adult, adult teachers and vocational colleges to support the development of professionalism. The gap between formal education and practice in a workplace is discussed in Nordic educational research and a model based on empirical data and combining sociological theories and approaches might contribute to the discussion. Bernstein, B. (2000). Pedagogy, symbolic control, and identity: theory, research, critique. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Bourdieu, P. (1996). Refleksiv sociologi: mål og midler. Købehavn.: Hans Reitzel. Heggen, K. (2008). Profesjon og identitet. I A. Molander & L. I. Terum (Red.), Profesjonsstudier. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget. Heggen, K., Smeby, J.-C., & Vägen, A. (2015). Coherence: a longitudinal approach. In J.-C. Smeby & M. Sutphen (ed.), From Vocational to Professional Education. Routledge.