Henriette Skjærbæk Duch

Reforming Vocational Didactics by Implementing a New VET Teacher Education in Denmark: Tensions and Challenges Reflected in Interviews with Vocational College Teachers.

A new education program, Diploma of Vocational Pedagogy, has recently been implemented in Denmark to upskill vocational college teachers and improve didactics at VET colleges in general. Among many challenges, vocational college teachers have to adapt their pedagogy to a large number of students from backgrounds with no tradition for education. Despite historical changes, the education as vocational college teacher also struggles with the interplay between theory and practice in the program and great diversity among vocational college teachers. Based on empirical data from focus group interviews with students from the Diploma of Vocational Pedagogy program and concepts developed by Bernstein and Bourdieu, the article analyzes how these aspects might affect the development of new vocational didactics. We know that it is not easy to change the culture of educational institutions, and the analysis uncovers several factors that are expected to hamper the development processes.

VET Again: Now as a VET Teacher

In 2010, a mandatory teacher training course was introduced for new vocational college teachers in Denmark. Since then, all vocational teachers have to complete the same course, regardless of practical work experience and educational background. After completion, they apply the knowledge to a very specific practice (i.e. teaching within a specific vocational field at a specific type of college). Thus, individual teachers experience different ‘learning trajectories’, depending on the vocational field and place of employment. They amass different experiences, including going back to school, just like newly enrolled students at a vocational college. This paper is based on empirical data from a qualitative study. It examines the learning trajectories of vocational teachers who choose to return to vocational colleges as VET teachers. Based on the analyses of two cases, we discuss the consequences for teachers’ pedagogical practice at vocational colleges and its potential for solving various challenges that colleges face.