Vocational fields as different learning environments in the workplace learning system of Finnish VET
Keywords:
vocational education and training, workplace learning system, vocational field, studentAbstract
The purpose of this study was to examine, from the point of view of students, the learning practices and processes of the workplace learning system adopted in 2001 for Finnish vocational education and training (VET). The data were collected from final year vocational students (N=3106, n=1603) via an Internet-based questionnaire. The findings from the quantitative analyses showed that there were remarkable differences between different vocational fields in (1) carrying out the demands of the workplace learning system (setting the learning goals, guidance, and assessment), (2) learning organization at the interface of school-based learning and workplace learning, and (3) students’ learning in the workplace. The practices and processes of the workplace learning system were most effective in the social and health care field, whereas they were weakest in the fields of technology and transport, and commerce and administration. The results of this study support those of recent learning studies that when students feel that their learning environments (school and working life) are very well integrated, they also seem to learn more effectively. As practical conclusions, this study suggests ways that students’ learning periods and situations in working life should be organized.
