Practice and interaction needed. How do vocational teachers evaluate their own teacher education?
Keywords:
qualitative analysis, teacher education, vocational education and trainingAbstract
We analyzed 53 vocational teachers’ experiences and evaluations of their vocational teacher education. As our data, we used qualitative thematic (n=29) and focus group interviews (n=24). The interviewed teachers represented several branches, localities, and schools of different size. In the article we asked, first, how teachers evaluate their teacher education in the light of their everyday work. Second, we asked what criteria they use for evaluating their teacher education – meaning how they experience the needs of their work. We then compared teachers’ experiences and evaluations with the aims and curricula of vocational teacher education. As our theoretical framework we utilized the theory of communities of practice, and we applied argumentation analysis as our method. Our analysis showed that vocational teachers view their work as a concrete and practical work with students in their vocational field. This was also the perspective from which they evaluated teacher education: it was viewed good if it contributed to practical work with students, and it was considered bad if it did not. The view of teachers’ work as practical and interactive also motivated the development suggestions which the interviewees posed for teacher education. Our analysis also showed great variation in teachers’ experiences and evaluations, which we interpreted not only as an expression of individual differences but also as a sign of varying quality of vocational teacher education. In the article, we propose some suggestions for the development of vocational teacher education from the before-mentioned perspectives.
