Opintoihin kiinnittyminen ammatillisessa koulutuksessa

Authors

• Satu Niittylahti Tampereen yliopisto, kasvatustieteiden ja kulttuurin tiedekunta
• Johanna Annala Tampereen yliopisto, kasvatustieteiden ja kulttuurin tiedekunta
• Marita Mäkinen Tampereen yliopisto, kasvatustieteiden ja kulttuurin tiedekunta

Keywords:

student engagement, vocational education and training, adolescence

Abstract

This study aimed to increase the understanding of student engagement of young vocational students. For this purpose, 17 second-year students (aged 17–19) were interviewed. They were studying in business and administration, metalwork and machinery or social- and welfare sectors. The aim was to bring out the students’ voice: their experiences on the everyday life of studying. Interviews were analysed by the means of a theory-related analysis. Student engagement was supported by the safety experienced by the young student and the increased confidence that followed it. In addition, realistic expectations of the future and time to grow were important. The support and existence of friends were paramount. Possibly the educational institution and study groups are a more natural target for engagement for adolescents than workplace communities. In this study, the opportunities and challenges this will bring to the renewed vocational education and to the workplace communities will be discussed.