The content, challenges and values that form Nordic Vocational Teacher Education

Authors

• Annica Isacsson Haaga-Helia School of Vocational Teacher Education
• Lisbeth Amhag Malmö University
• Martin Stigmar Malmö University

Keywords:

Nordic VET teacher education, comparison, challenges, values

Abstract

This article depicts four Nordic cases from the field of Vocational Teacher Education. The aim of the article is to compare statements, challenges and values that form vocational teacher programmes in the Nordic countries. Moreover, the aim of this article is to study common threads, contents, professional progress follow-up and learning examination practices in the Nordic vocational teacher programmes. In this article, we describe one national example from each country. The examples come from Malmö University of Educational Sciences in Sweden, Metropolitan University College in Denmark, Olso Metropolitan University in Norway and Haaga-Helia School of Vocational Teacher Education in Finland. The article is a result of desk-analysis, interviews and collaborative writing. The findings indicate that the four countries and examples have a lot in common, but also differences e.g. related to strategies, values and practices. While an academic / scientific orientation have been chosen in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, competences form the basis for vocational teacher education in Finland. In conclusions we present an overview of the programmes and discuss the position of VET more generally in these countries and how it challenges vocational teacher education.